Allow pubs, gaming venues to operate

EVER since the one month isolation period, employees from night clubs, pubs and gambling outlets were put out of work.
Employees from each establishment duly adhered to the isolation period, sacrificing their welfare and that of the children and families.
No one knew whether these people were living on loans or have been compensated by their employers, nor was there any relief grants by the National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning’s office and the Government to these people.
They are Papua New Guineans just as any of us.
Recently, Manning, through the measures under the “Niupla Pasin”, decided to continue on with the shutdown of these establishments.
This is one of the most short-sighted decision ever without thinking out of the box for ways to reopen these establishments and adhering to the so-called “Niupla Pasin” measures at the same time.
How ironic is it that the name is called “Niupla Pasin” while Manning’s office has not done any “new changes” that would allow these establishments to operate with these measures?
The controller’s office is taking away food from the tables of ordinary blue-collar Papua New Guineans who are struggling to make ends meet.
That office is denying opportunities for young Papua New Guineans who are looking for jobs to start their careers.
It is further denying revenue from the National Gambling and Control Board (which would be injected into the Government’s coffers) after the organisation reportedly made a huge loss.
There are no data for those who recovered from Covid-19 but yet, Manning’s office keeps on giving increased statistics adding onto cases of two months ago without checking on their status whether they had recovered or not.
In most developed nations, workers’ unions or employees of such establishments would start up a class action lawsuit if a consensus is not reached on time.
Section 55 of the Constitution demands equal rights for all.
The law, under the Pandemic Act, seems to be benefiting only the well-to-do while the lower class are barely keeping their heads above water.
This is a bad trend in the long run when establishing laws based on circumstantial convenience.

Frustrated Middle Class,
Pom