The investigation Into East New Britain Palm Oil Limited (ENBPOL) and its business conduct with local oil palm growers in the Gazelle Peninsula will commence soon following the government releasing recently the fundings for it. The Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru in a statement released on the 4th October, expressed gratitude to the Marape-Rosso government towards the released funds while highlighting the next step into formal investigation. The investigation will include close communication between the investigation team and key stakeholders in the investigation, including the ENB Provincial Government and Local Oil Palm farmers, and the ENBPOL. The arrangement of the schedule with be published in the newspapers for public knowledge. The investigation, which will be led by oil palm expert, Mr. Nicholas Thompson, was established and approved by the NEC following a petition by the local oil palm growers and landowners of Gazelle Peninsula and Wider Bay Area of ENB Province, calling for an investigation into the exploitation of an unfair trade practices by the ENBPOL for illegal price fixing of K10 per metric ton for Fresh Fruits Bunch (FFB) payments from November 2014 to 2022, and K15 per metric ton from 2023-2024. Minister Maru announced that an investigation team will examine ENBPOL's ownership, land titles, and packages for large-scale palm oil estates, as the company reportedly does not own the land it operates on. The team will also compare benefits with other palm oil provinces. The findings will be crucial for stakeholders, including growers, landowners, developers, the government, and agencies for potential changes. Minister Maru emphasized that the Marape-Rosso Government is addressing farmers' complaints to secure better packages for land use in oil palm development and to ensure foreign investors do not exploit local landowners. Minister Maru concluded that the investigation will help the government reform the oil palm industry to prevent exploitation of farmers through policy and legislation. If allegations of price fixing by ENBPOL are true, the investigation will recommend compensation for farmers' lost income over the past ten years. The government will determine the extent of the financial loss and decide on ENBPOL's future operations in PNG based on the findings. Minister Maru reiterated that the Marape-Rosso Government is committed to addressing farmers' complaints and ensuring fair treatment by foreign investors.