Highlands police phone lines cut

TELEPHONE lines in all the provincial police headquarters in the Highlands region have been cut since the beginning of the week after failing to settle the bills.
This was revealed by the Western Highlands police commander ACP Simon Kauba in Mt Hagen police station on Wednesday.
ACP Kauba said the department owed Telikom PNG K420,000 for all Highlands’ police stations for January and February.
“The department is preparing to pay its bills. There is also no communication between the provincial police commanders and himself in the Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands and Enga provinces.
“This includes fax and other means of communications connected to Telikom PNG. This could have affected other regions as well because it is a nationwide disconnection by Telikom PNG,” he said.
ACP Kauba urged Telikom PNG to reconnect their lines because the department was preparing to pay the bills as soon as possible.
“Telikom should understand that without the police force, people’s lives and properties are in great risk. The department is here to protect them,” he said.
He said the department would pay its bills as soon as payment arrangements processed within the department but, in the meantime, Telikom should restore the vital communication.
ACP Kauba said police communication with the mineral-rich provinces like Southern Highlands and Enga provinces were also affected.
“We are also unable to get the latest updates with the multi-billion-kina PNG LNG gas project,” he said.