By VERONICA MANUK
PNG Chamber of Commerce Industries and other organisations must support the Independent Consumer Competition Commission (ICCC) to encourage competition in all main industries in the country.
The East New Britain Chamber of Commerce (ENBCoC) made the call yesterday due to increases in fuel prices, which had affected many business operators, while the grassroots consumers were the most affected, with the increase in costs of services and prices of food items in shops.
Paul Bluett from ENBCoC said it was difficult to address the increase in fuel prices because of two things.
First the increase in fuel price depended on the world market and secondly the oil refinery in PNG was not competitive to cater for competition.
Mr Bluett said the only alternative solution was for all CoCs and other organisations to support ICCC to encourage competition in all main industries in the country like fuel suppliers, shipping, aviation, telecommunication industries and others.
He said the country should get away from the monopoly system to run effectively.
Meanwhile, Manus province was the most affected as out of the 46,000 people in the province, about 30,000 of them frequently travel in and out of the town to get services by vehicles and boats.
Provincial administrator Wep Kanawi suggested that the Government to look at three alternative ways and they were:
* Investing into other alternative fuel sources by talking to automobile and out-boat manufacturers to consider other fuel sources like coconut oil;
* Government to allow remote provinces like Manus to source oil from other sources like Jayapura; and
* Allow isolated provinces like Manus to be a duty-free port.