Warning on buai fines

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
RANGERS on foot patrols and those at road blocks are not allowed to collect fines from betel nut offenders, the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) has clarified.
Honk Kiap, the commission’s buai ban controller, said offenders would be taken to the Tengdui Depot to be charged. Fines are to be paid at City Hall.
He said all offenders would have to pay K300 under the Summary Offences Act of littering since their NCDC legal team was still working on the law of charging someone for a proposed K500 spot fine.
“The K500 will be effective once the law is finalised,” Kiap said.
He said if offenders failed to pay the K300 fine, they would formally arrest them and transfer them to the Boroko police cell.
The K300 fine for anyone chewing in the city (without a personal means of disposal of spittle and rubbish) or spitting or throwing rubbish came into effect yesterday.
He said the first locations would be along the Hubert Murray Highway, Jack Pidik Park and Unagi Oval and other locations would follow. “We have been doing awareness for a long time and this time there is no more warning,” Kiap said.
Kiap said random road blocks are expected to start today.
“It’s action time,” he said.