Foreigners taking over

ALL the reserved businesses are supposed to be owned and operated by Papua New Guineans.
The Government should enforce legislations to protect them from foreign invasions.
But what is happening now is the opposite.
The reserved businesses like trade store, fast food, bakeries, PMV and many more are now taken over by foreigners.
In all provincial towns and cities you will see the foreigners operating small reserved businesses.
They are even operating in the rural areas and outer towns in districts and even on islands and along the coast.
They are seen doing informal businesses such as cooking scones at road side stalls, buying and reselling betel nuts, vanilla, coffee, cocoa, beach-de-mer and other agricultural and marine trading.
Why are the foreigners operating the reserved businesses at ease as if there is no control and policing in this country?
The answer is, they are taking advantage of our weak system of governance in terms of policy implementation and legislative enforcement on the part of the Government and its relevant agencies.
The previous government, under the two ministries that Yangoru MP Richard Maru was holding, was so vocal on SMEs.
He made mention and promised that such businesses will be reserved for Papua New Guineans but to date, we see nothing good happening and it has become a political gimmick.
The responsible ministers and bureaucratic of the past seem to be good talkers but slow to take action. They held conventions and attend seminars on the issue but did nothing to address the issue.
Such inaction from the Government had infringed our rights and compromised our sovereignty.
The civil society is already sick and tired of seeing foreigners taking away their rights in business operations.
Specifically, the provincial governors and their administrations need to be vigilant and address the issues forthwith.
Prime Minister James Marape’s catchphrase of taking back PNG and making it become a “rich black Christian nation” cannot be realised without taking back all the reserved businesses that are operated by the foreigners.
Give them back to the citizens.
Protecting our rights is protecting our sovereignty and prosperity.

Charles Ifu,
Yearmox, Watabung EHP