PM urged to lift lockdown

The National Main Stories

By CHARLES MOI and DALE LUMA
THE Government has been urged to lift the lockdown, and reopen small, micro and medium-sized businesses to prevent the onset of poverty and crime in communities.
The advice was relayed to Prime Minister James Marape yesterday by the president of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) council Des Yaninen in Port Moresby.”
The council recommended that:

  • the lockdown be lifted to allow businesses to operate, while observing social distancing and hygiene rules;
  • banks to allow businesses to defer their loan repayments;
  • the budgeted K200 million from the Government for MSMEs be released to help them get back on their feet.

Yamien said the MSMEs had a great impact on how people led their lives.
“Poverty increases when small businesses and the informal sector are denied the ability to operate,” he said.
Yaninen said the people were starting to see an increase in petty crimes especially in Port Moresby as people laid off from work five weeks ago looked for ways to survive.
Marape said everything was being done to restore normalcy.
Marape said the MSMEs would benefit from an economic stimulus package to be announced soon. He said he was committed to empowering these businesses.
The Government has allocated the K200 million in the 2020 budget as a guarantee for MSMEs to access loans from banks every year for the next 10 years.
Marape yesterday called on women to start small businesses making reusable face masks which would be needed in big quantities during the Covid-19 response period.
“One of the fundamental requirements for people to respond in the face of Covid-19 is to wear a face mask,” he said.
“I ask our mothers (around) the country to use this as an opportunity to start a SME (small-medium enterprise) and sew face masks.
“Districts and provinces would be asked to ensure that the SMEs nationwide sew facemasks to be used.
“I think face masks will become part of our dressing to ensure we don’t spread this contagious infectious disease. We (must) keep it from spreading.”

20 comments

  • Lock down must be maintained as life is more important than anything else including small business or rights etc. All those can be restored quickly after the lock downs and avoiding COVID-19 killing but not life!

  • Thanked and appreciate all the updates.

    A courtesy follow up , Kindly advise . The schools should be reopen as of 27/04/2020. Is the Highlands Highway be opened for school kids to travel back to Lae from Highlands provinces?

  • Up to now there is no evidence of Coronavirus at least within the country. Only the entry and exit points should be policed with vigilance and this includes international air and sea ports, unauthorized sea vessels trying to enter PNG illegally and along the PNG – West Papua border.

  • Of course life is more important than any other thing but, some people out there are starving because of this lockdown. It is said that, PNG is a Christian Country, now the question is: Where is our faith?? We must practise what we know from our heart. So please, let’s just continue practising what we are taught so we get done and over with this lockdown… Papua New Guinea is a strong Country, we won’t get hit by the Corona Virus…

  • Government to lift the lock-down and SoE must lifted as well to allow businesses to resume. Our economy very small and the more this continues there will be more issues for the government to contain. Just continue with the strict Covid-19 protocols at our borders and international flights.

  • Covid 19 is just like TB and any other Airborne respiratory diseases,.. Who knows PNGeans have being living with it! So let’s lift the lockdown domestically and our governments should look at improving the capacity of our hospitals to cater for covid 19 and any other infections like TB already present in our communities and killing us.

  • It is good to lift the lock down but think big,every human beings need foods to survive and sustain their living on this planet.When we continue to lock down and restrict the transportation of foods and goods between borders how can they survive without food,people can be restricted to cross borders but let the foods and goods to pass through..

  • It is good to lift the lock down but think big,every human beings need foods to survive and sustain their living on this planet.When we continue to lock down and restrict the transportation of foods and goods between borders how can they survive without food,people can be restricted to cross borders but let the foods and goods to pass through..

  • PNG is a Christian Country. So let us practice our faith. Speak psalms 91. Believers in PNG do not panic because God will protect us. Covid 19 is only for those who worship idol.

  • The lock down is good, but with the understanding that people need food to survive, it has to return to normal.
    With the 8 confirmed cases, 4 came back negative and i assume the other 4 will also be negative after second or third test..
    This Covid-19 is here to stay, we have to adapt to live with it only by practicing personal hygiene and social distancing..

  • Lift lockdowns and SOE and apply increased surveillance only to international borders and travelers. If there is a COVID-19 case in PNG, apply targeted lockdown to that community or city only. Our economy simply cannot handle a prolonged SOE.

    Besides C-19 is here to stay – people should learn to adjust to the new normal.

  • Provinces that does not have cases of COVID19 should be do away with lockdown but must encourage to be abide by all hygiene and social distancing rules already in place by government. Those already have cases with COVID 19 must continue with lockdown until further notice from SOE controllers and government. However government must provide food and other necessities of their lives while in such a suffering time as well with other partnering donors.

  • We thank Marape Government to take the bold stand to lock down early and there is limited cases of covid-19 but no dead. The cases identified are remote and common sense to prevail. Have stringent measures on the board provinces but open the economy gradually but surely to normalcy. We have small economy base so lets not strain them any more.
    Marape we salute you for your handling of the Covid-19 with SOE Controller and committee. God bless you and your government.

    • Thanks very much for the uplifting of the lock down
      As of today there is no existence of the coronavirus in Papua new Guinea,
      Most importantly proper checks and control at all our international boarders including international flights

      Finally if marape government continues with locking down Papua new Guinea, our country’s economy will go in to disaster let all forms of business operate normal.
      Public servants needed to be paid at least 400 million kina every fornight where will. government get 400 million kina ? only options will be borrowing

  • We PNG have a billions of loan so we should think twice on this lockdown since we hve no dirth cases.we have 8 cases confirm but we’re recovered because maybe we lived in different atmosphere.. I suggest that of private sectors schools and etc should resume anytime..I know life is more important than knowledge/money but everyone needs access to survive..

  • There is no evidence that people are dying of 5G radiation. You have been brainwashed by the Western media controlled by neocons to believe the Western propaganda aimed at suffocating China’s rise to economic super power. Read widely and think for urself

  • Enough time has been spent to address the spread of this virus. Limited testing has shown limited presence of the virus so its time to plan on opening up the country again, however plan has to be in plan snd implimejted to prevent foreigners from bringing in the virus snd Papua New Guineans from having contact with foreigner and crossing in and out of our borders especially with Indonesia where this virus is spreading rapidly.

  • banned international flight and shipings????
    how can you sustain your economy???
    how acn you do your IMPORT & EXPORT??.
    BRING Things back to normalcy but enforce the preventives measures,

  • Thanks Malkom Barney Paijako, that’s the biggest conflict now going on in this world. its the radiation of the electromagnetic frequency that is causing the damaged of the biological system. The world published the fact and false information at the same time and its up to us individual to decide. The World is control by the freemasons, weather its China or USA or etc.. they all serve one master and one political agenda the One World Order or New World Order.

Comments are closed.