Deputy PM advised not to make threats

By JEFFREY ELAPA
DEPUTY Prime Minister Belden Namah has been advised not to threaten investors and chief executives of statutory companies in the country.
Deputy opposition leader Sam Abal, raising a point of order in parliament during question time on Wednesday, told Namah not to accuse all businesses of operating illegally.
Namah, the minister for forest, was answering questions raised by Middle Ramu MP Ben Semri over the controversial Ramu Block One timber issue.
The supplementary question by Semri created a row between him and Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather.
Abal said Namah should not blame all businesses of illegal activities and interfering with the decisions of the government and the running of the country.
He said many were carrying out their businesses according to the laws of the country.
“You cannot blame all chief executives of statutory authorities and governmental heads and threatened them,” Abal said.
Namah, in reply, said there were rules and laws in the country which investors, both domestic and foreign, had to be abide by.
Namah said many foreign businesses were using their powers to influence and control public and government institutions including the National Executive Council.
He said Papua New Guineans had to make their own decisions on how to run the country and not foreigners manipulating the system.
He said there were laws which everyone, including locals who wanted to run businesses, had to follow and that they should not interfere with the running of the government.