Govt statutory bodies meet in Bougainville

OFFICIALS from government statutory bodies are conducting a week-long joint agencies border awareness in Buin, Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARB).
They include the Department of Labour and Industry, Customs, Office of Censorship Board, Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Independent Consumer Competition Commission, Health, World Health Organisation and others.
Deputy chief censor Jim Abani said the purpose of the awareness was to educate the people from the newly developing region about roles, responsibilities, functions and objectives of each statutory body.
The workshop is to ensure people understand the rules and regulations of state agencies that allow people to take part in socio-economic activities.
“It is the new era for the ARB and through the Border Development Authority, people need to be educated with the necessary information to ensure they participate meaningfully and productively to achieve their intentions under required processes,” Abani said.
He said, many illegal activities like smuggling were becoming common and the people needed to be educated about that.
Among many issues raised is a concern regarding the unauthorised sale of DVDs on the streets of major centres like Port Moresby, Lae, Mt Hagen, Goroka, Madang and smaller centres and towns.
“It is against government policy to sell multiple DVDs and consumers have been urged not to buy such illegal items as they will never get their money’s worth from those products,” he said.
Abani said police, Customs including other law enforcing agencies were empowered by the Censorship Board to confiscate such items while investigating and uprooting distributing sources.