No liquor for Lae settlements

THE Morobe provincial executive council has endorsed a no liquor trading in Lae settlements and compounds, restricting the consumption of liquor only in licensed taverns, motels and hotels.
Due to public outcry on the abuse of liquor in settlements and compounds, the board carried out a survey and based on the outcome, initiated control measures liquor licensing board chairman Bill Singoling said. 
Based on imposing the ban on liquor sales in all settlements, liquor licences will, also, not be sold to interested retailers in settlements.
Singoling said anyone found selling liquor  will be fined K1,000 and jailed for six months with hard labour.
On the same token, the Morobe provincial liquor licensing board had revoked the liquor trading licences of two major city guest houses for not complying with set regulations, the provincial liquor licensing board chairman said.
Singoling said the liquor licence for Lae City Guest House (LCGH) on Seventh Street and Lae Traveller’s Inn at 2-Mile were revoked.
More than 2,000 residents near the guest house had signed a petition requesting the provincial liquor licensing board and the provincial executive council to impose a ban at the guest house.
The PEC endorsed the move after the petitioners complained bitterly about  the behaviour by  drunks which was causing nuisance for nearby residential areas at night.
The former did not renew its liquor licence and continued to sell liquor when police raided and confiscated around 30 cartons of beer.
Meanwhile, the request for a total liquor ban for Bulolo and Menyamya districts is pending. The board will meet, decide and submit to the political head and Governor Luther Wenge for approval.
Singoling said the liquor ban in West Taraka, outside Lae city, since was still pending since 2000 and police will confiscate liquor from anyone found selling beer illegally.
The measures were initiated to find out if the increase in law and order problems in city suburbs and settlements were alcohol-related.
Therefore imposing a liquor ban in all Lae settlements would go for an indefinite period, Singoling said.