Chamber to govt: Do more

The National Business

By DALE LUMA
THE Papua New Guinea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PNGCCI) has urged the Government to improve its leadership in certain areas which include:

  • Meaningful engagement, with integrity, with the business community;
  • More openness to constructive suggestions;
  • Less pandering to Australia; and,
  • Need to understand that PNG is part of a global community and, therefore, the ‘brand’ is important.

President John Leahy said this when welcoming the National Capital District Commission’s (NCDC) deferral of a land tax increase on commercial properties.
Leahy said it was now 12 months since the new Government had been formed, headed by Prime Minister James Marape, and its report card had shown failure in some areas.
“PNGCCI welcomes this move by the NCDC but would request that more be done both by the provinces across the country and at the national level,” he said.
“Only this morning (Tuesday) in a zoom meeting among chamber presidents from throughout the country, concern was expressed that nothing tangible has been done by the governments at all levels to assist businesses in these difficult times.
“PNGCCI calls on the National Government to address these concerns in the forthcoming Supplementary Budget.
“There have been very mixed reports of the quality and quantity of cooperation between provincial governments and the business community at the provincial level.
“In some cases, such as in Madang, uncertainty about the appointment of a provincial administrator has contributed to the problems.
“In others, such as East New Britain, the problems have been longstanding.
“This is an, especially critical, issue as we work through the Covid-19 pandemic.
“PNGCCI calls on the National Government to address those provinces which are performing poorly as regards to business and provincial government cooperation.
“This has always been a critical issue, but more so when it is a matter of life and death, as now.
“Some provincial level administrations are doing well and should be congratulated and the NCDC is a good example of where it works well.”