Liquor ban to be enforced

THE sale of liquor in all settlements in Port Moresby may be banned, Moresby North-East MP John Kaupa says.
“The ban is being considered by the National District Capital Commission (NCDC). The incidents last year (2018) that resulted in the loss of lives and damage to people’s lives were all alcohol-related,” he said in his New Year message.
“A liquor ban is already in place in the 8-Mile area. NCDC has also found that people are selling liquor illegally in settlements because they do not have licence,” he added.
Kaupa said all beer sales in the settlements were illegal and that NCDC had agreed that all beer sales in settlements should be stopped.
“NCDC will soon advise relevant authorities to implement the ban and get some law and order in place,” he said, adding, “We will also look into alcohol manufacturers”.
He said some of those sold contained very high percentages of alcohol and the manufacturers needed to toe the line to ensure their products met acceptable standards.
“NCDC is also consulting with hospitals to determine the number of alcohol-related deaths. We will gather all the relevant information needed to outline a strong basis to control for the safety of consumers,” he said.
On another matter, Kaupa said he would be focusing on investing in youths and women in his electorate this year. We will continue helping youths in TVET (technical and vocational education and training) and creating more and better avenues for our mothers to be successfully engaged in small-medium enterprise activities.”