ASIATODAY.ID, PORT MORESBY – The situation in Papua New Guinea is tense. The peaceful life experienced by the people of that country suddenly disappeared. Social unrest suddenly broke out in this country which borders Indonesia. 16 people died and business activities were completely paralyzed.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister (PM) James Marape, on Thursday, January 11 2024, announced that the country was in a state of emergency.
Riots in Papua New Guinea occurred on Wednesday, January 10 2024 evening, triggered by protests over salary cuts which were considered an administrative error by officials.
Police and officers in the public sector took to the streets to protest against the salary cuts. Television footage showed thousands of people on the streets of the capital Port Moresby, many of them carrying what appeared to be looted merchandise.
Australian government television ABC reported that 9 people died in riots in Port Moresby and 7 people died in Lae City.
Prime Minister James Marape said at a news conference that he had dismissed Papua New Guinea’s police chief and key bureaucrats in the finance and treasury departments while the government conducted a review into the causes of the unrest.
“There is evidence of organized rioting taking place. “We are securing democracy, we are securing the rule of law,” he told reporters.
About 1,000 military personnel were on standby to prevent further unrest, he said.
Violence in the capital subsided on Thursday, and the government deployed additional police to maintain order.
The United States Embassy in Port Moresby said police had returned to work, but tensions in the area remained high.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy reported that several residents were slightly injured, and their shops were the target of vandalism and looting.
Business World Asks for Protection
As a result of the riots, the Papua New Guinea Business Council called on the Government to protect the business world, especially to implement security measures and harsher penalties. This was stated by the President of the Business Council of Papua New Guinea (BCPNG) Susil Nelson-Kongoi considering that entrepreneurs in Port Moresby lost millions of kina in one day.
“All the businesses that were attacked yesterday were Papua New Guinean businesses that were developed domestically, employing Papua New Guineans and one person employed has the ripple effect of feeding ten people,” he explained, quoted from Loop, Friday, January 12 2024.
He said that the private sector and the business world pay and incur huge costs to operate in the country. For this reason, the government calls for security measures and penalties to protect retailers from loss and damage.
“The businesses affected yesterday will not only impact the owners, but also everyone who works and will also burden government revenues,” he explained.
He also said that Papua New Guinea was already a difficult investment destination and needed the private retail sector to do business here. Retail shop owners in the country’s National Capital District (NCD) expressed concern that food and clothing retailers are bearing the brunt of foreign exchange restrictions to keep things running.
“Companies such as City Pharmacy Limited, Brian Bell and others have remained afloat through credit lines and supplier trust but have lost several supplier partners due to state burdens,” he explained.
He then said that all this looting would have an impact on the business sector.
For your information, BCPNG has become the highest body representing the private sector in Papua New Guinea, in all sectors. BCPNG also promotes the importance and role of economic growth, freedom and enterprise. (AT Network)
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