Provincial boards worry Rosso

By GLORIA BAUAI
PROVINCIAL boards must consider people’s social welfare and not be too focused on making money, says Lae MP and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso.
Rosso said decisions by such regulating bodies as the liquor licensing board, land board, physical planning board and building board directly impacted city residents.
He referred to a case in 2021 when the Lae City Authority issued a stop-work order to a liquor processing factory in Lae based on concerns that its product had a high alcohol content which was deemed a health risk for consumers.
“The (then) provincial liquor licencing board reapproved the factory to commence (operations) when my view was to eventually shut it down,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the licensing board falls under the provincial government and not LCA, so when we put the stop-work notice, the board decided otherwise and issued a licence for them to operate.
“That’s where I appeal to the boards to be more responsible, have more common sense and see if things are not right, they should not be issuing licences.
“These boards should not only look at making money but consider people’s welfare in the city.”
In June, Morobe swore in members of 17 provincial boards who Governor Luther Wenge said would oversee various divisions and drive project implementation.
Following public concerns on the boards’ composition, their professional background and attributes, The National’s attempts to get a list of all board members from the cabinet secretary Jimmy Awagasi have to date been unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Wenge said the appointed boards had already commenced work.
He added that funds had been allocated to these boards for them to carry out their roles.
“My direction is that those who have been appointed by the provincial executive council but not sworn in must do so before the clerk of assembly, before they start work,” Wenge said.
“Some, like the boundaries commission, have already started work to identify how many LLGs and wards we should have in the province and this submission should be brought to me by this week and I will bring it to PEC.”