Call for govt to monitor border trade

 By BENNY GETENG

CHILDREN in Western living near the Indonesian border are growing up using the Indonesian currency in their daily financial activities.

Provincial police commander Insp Silva Sika  said the children were using the Indonesian currency instead of the kina.

“Children and people who have their villagers near the border with Indonesia usually trade with vendors from the other side of the border with PNG kina to buy goods,” he said.

“But they are then given change in Rupiah. Our currency is going out at a very alarming rate with no proper monitoring by law enforcement agencies.”

Sika said goods sold over the border were usually Asian-made counterfeits such as soft drinks, snacks and cigarettes using kina prices.

“The children buy these goods and some of them have grown up remembering the names of these items rather than PNG-made products,” he said.

“The problem is the lack of proper roads and other transport links into these areas. The goods and services don’t reach the people and therefore they tend to rely on such vendors to provide the goods they need for their daily consumption.

“The most important agenda is that the PNG kina is being taken away by these vendors and they are making huge profits from the cheap goods they sell.”

Sika called on the Government to monitor these activities.