Calls for foreigners to be monitored

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday October 8th, 2013

 THERE is a need for greater inter-agency cooperation in policing borders, permits and trans-national crimes, Madang provincial labour officer Peter Neimani says.

Neimani commended the work of visiting labour officers who visited the urban fringes and major project areas where foreigners are employed. 

That included RD Fishing and Cannery, Basamuk and Kurumbukari.

The team spent two weeks in the province and visited 56 companies.

Eleven Asian-owned firms were found to be in breach of labour laws.

Many were fined between K1,000 to K3,000 under the Amended Employment of Non-Citizens Act 2007.

Neimani said there were local Chinese at the village level who operated tuck-shops, warehouses or alcohol shops instead of employing locals.

Neimani said the last inspection was done in 2008 and since then nothing had been done except in 2010 when 223 Chinese nationals without proper permits were found at Basamuk and charged.

That was during the construction stages of the nickle refinery project .

Provincial police commander Sylvester Kalaut said it was good to see the men in the province policing foreigners.

“State agencies involved in Customs, labour, fisheries, national border authority, immigration, quarantine and police need to be involved more often,” he said. 

“There needs to be a reporting system where all involved are given the same information.”