Business houses welcome decision

By REBECCA KUKU
BUSINESSES and the Porgera community in Enga have welcomed the National Executive Council’s decision to declare a state of emergency for Porgera following reports of ongoing tribal fighting in the area.
The death is estimated to be close to 20 with and properties destroyed.
Porgera Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Nick Pakea welcomed the NEC decision announced by Prime Minister James Marape last week.
Pakea said that declaring an SOE to address law and order issues in the newly established Porgera-Paiela district would help to restore confidence of the business community to conduct business in the area again.
“This will also restore public services in the valley and restore normalcy,” he said.
“We appreciate the fast intervention by the Government and in particular the Prime Minister James Marape for responding to the cries of our people.”
Marape announced the state of emergency last week saying that the newly-formed Porgera-Paiela electorate housed the Porgera gold mine, a major revenue earner for the country.
“We will send in the Papua New Guinea Defence Force personnel to be stationed in the electorate, to ensure peace is restored and state assets are protected,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police and the PNGDF say they have not yet been informed of the SOE for the Porgera-Paiela district.