Huafolo calls for awareness drive

THE ongoing resentment, disagreements and squabbles involving various landowner factions over the LNG agreement call for greater community awareness, mutual understanding, dialogue and security, acting Deputy Police Commissioner and chief of operations, Raphael Huafolo said.
DCP Huafolo said all parties involved in the project should embark on a massive community awareness programme to educate the people about the benefits of the project and legitimate landowners should be identified and included in all negotiations.
“As it seems, the negotiations are being rushed at all levels, causing anxiety and resentment in the hearts and minds of the people,” DCP Huafolo said.
“Without proper dialogue and understanding, the people will resort to violence and cause law and order problems, therefore our two most important issues are awareness and security.
“The Government should negotiate with the developers and other stakeholders and set up a tax credit scheme specifically to fund police operations to address law and order issues in the country.
“The expected economic boom in the country is likely to attract all forms of law and order problems and specific funding should be set up for police to combat these problems.
“The Police Department has a Constitutional obligation to ensure the business environment in the country is conducive for the resource developers, the Government and the people,” DCP Huafolo said.
“Without the sustenance of peace and good order, socioeconomic development cannot prosper well in the country.”
He made these remarks after retuning from a whirlwind tour of Enga and Southern Highlands provinces last week to oversee the deployment of police personnel in the Kandep by-election and the licence-based benefits sharing agreement signing in the Hela region.
According to DCP Huafolo, the seven impact goals and objectives of the constabulary include security for major project sites throughout the country and therefore, it is incumbent for the Government to immediately embark on negotiations with the developer to set up a tax credit scheme to  fund the work of police to control unnecessary issues.