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Business |
Legislation clipping ICCC powers
‘disturbing’
By FRANK ASAELI
ACADEMICS at the
University of Papua New Guinea have expressed grave concern on
the new legislation that would divest the Independent Consumer
and Competition Commission (ICCC) its powers to allow for mobile
phone competition.
The National Academic Staff Association (NASA) and members met
recently to express their views on behalf of the silent majority
and the rural people.
“NASA appeals to the minister responsible for the introduction
of this new legislation to consider the negative consequences of
vesting the powers to approve or disapprove applications for
licences to a minister,” acting NASA president Gideon Phillip
said.
He said NASA was appealing to all members of Parliament to
reject the proposed legislation.
“NASA sees deregulation and competition in the telecommunication
industry as the way forward for the people of PNG and strongly
opposes any Government moves to strip off the current powers
held by ICCC.”
Dr Eric Kwa of the School of Law warned that the move allowing
National Executive Council (NEC) to approve the proposed new
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy would go
down like the Networking the Nation (NTN) Television case in the
1980s.
He said the NTN TV was brought into the country by Sir Michael
Somare but former politician Paias Wingti, who was the prime
minister at that time, moved a bill in Parliament barring NTN TV
from competing in the local market.
A court case between the state and NTN went before the Supreme
Court in 1987 and cost the Government hefty sums of money for
breach of contract.
Dr Kwa said because of this there was no television broadcast in
PNG for over two years before EMTV was set up.
He also pointed out that PNG was a member of Apec and WTO and
such move by the Government was contrary to WTO and Apec trade
agreements.
Journalism division head Leo Wafiwa said stripping the powers of
an independent body that determine and issue licence and giving
it to an individual and in this case a minister, was a dangerous
trend for PNG.
 
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