ABG wants ICCC’s presence felt in Bougainville: Secretary

The National Business

THE Autonomous Region of Bougainville wants the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) to have a big presence in the region to protect consumers, an official says.
The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Department of Commerce, Trade and Industry secretary Stanford Komena said this in Port Moresby on Friday after being certified as the ICCC agent in Bougainville.
“We have been calling for the presence of ICCC in Bougainville because of the importance to protect our consumer’s rights and uphold it,” Komena said.
“We have been asking for this for quite a while.
“Last year, ICCC commissioner Paulus Ain allowed us to proceed and we signed the MoU (memorandum of understanding).
“The MoU is in accordance with the Sharp Agreement which we signed in Arawa, it allows for us to draw down on certain aspects of the powers and functions that are within the ICCC Act.”
Komena said the MoU allowed the ABG to have the ICCC through its agent in Bougainville.
He said this would enhance the welfare of the consumers in Bougainville, promote industry conduct, standards and protects the interests of the consumers, traders with regard to price, quality and reliability of goods. “As much as we want to grow the economy through the establishment and development of business, consumer protection must not be compromised for the sake of profit,” Komena said.
Komena said his department aimed to regulate better public transportation (public motor vehicles, including set fares for buses and taxis) in conjunction with the Road Transport Authority.
He added that monitoring and regulating fuel prices with the help of the commission was crucial to the Bougainville economy.
“With respect to the referendum, with respect to the Wabag Declaration that was made, we ask that ICCC, in its wisdom, help me establish ICCC in Bougainville, help me legislate it, if the window of opportunity opens in 2025 to 2027, help me establish a ICCC for Bougainville, that is a legislative matter and we go forward to address that.”