A valuable lesson for all people

 THE Maprik District Court, in East Sepik, has found a Chinese man and Filipino woman guilty of indecent assault.  The two are employees of a trading company in Maprik.

The court heard that the man had directed his Filipino female shop supervisor to strip search a female employee when K200 went missing during her watch. 

In his ruling, Magistrate Fridolin Kambible warned the pair they had no authority to search anyone.

Hopefully, the magistrate’s warning is conveyed through the media to other shop and business owners, both foreigners and Papua New Guineans, throughout the country.

The current bright economic conditions and the government’s relaxing of restrictions on foreigners in small and medium businesses has seen an inflow of foreigners, entering the country to conduct business.

Go into any district station anywhere in PNG today and you will invariably find a foreign-owned small trade store and mini supermarket operating there. 

These small enterprises have a ready clientele and gap to fill in the provision of basic household goods, farming tools and other necessities for the village communities. 

This can be seen as foreign investment in the simplest form. 

Many rural-based enter­prises were previously ow­ned and operated by other foreigners, mainly Australians, who have left PNG over the years. The vacuum has been filled by Asians who now dominate the trade store business in rural areas.

The entry of foreign businesses in many parts of the country is a welcome development, especially for the communities concerned who have had to travel to at quite some expense to provincial centres in search of basic household items in shops and supermarkets there.  

It is a sad reality that some foreign owners of  small businesses in district centres like Maprik treat locals with contempt and disrespect because they do not know their rights and are unable to stand up to the perpetrator or simply because they fear losing their jobs.

There is a language barrier that contributes to such unpleasant situations.

Was K200 worth degrading a person through a strip search?

The Maprik District Court rightly penalised the culprits for disrespectful and indecent act with a fine of K500 apiece.  

The incident again raises the question of how many other Papua New Guinean employers and customers have suffered indignity at the hands of foreign shop owners who seem have the notion that everyone who enters their shops is a potential shoplifter and ought to be treated as such.

The Maprik incident calls for a critical review of the small and medium enterprise sector. 

Do we really need foreigners operating small or medium size shops at the district level? 

What chances are there for a struggling local entrepreneur to start a small business and remain in operation when foreigners are allowed to move in with lots of money to run them out of business.

The move by Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru may be fraught with problems in some respects but there is credibility in the decision to reserve small businesses such as shops and guest houses in the rural districts for local business people.

Given the necessary skills and even financial backing such small enterprises can thrive and in many of our communities. The Government’s intention and preparedness to assist through the revival of the Stret Pasin Stoa scheme, injecting capital in the National Development Bank to start and incubate business and specifically setting aside for women entreprenuers are commendable measures.

It is hoped that such government policy and drive would be met with eagerness and commitment to success by aspiring businessmen and women at the district level.

If locals can seize the opportunities and successfully operate businesses in their local communities, foreigners will not be too keen to venture into the small business environment. 

Unless that happens foreigners will continue to be there as business owners while locals remain employees only and sometimes grudgingly so.