White paper vital

 A NEW defence White Paper is vital for the country’s national security, a consultation meeting on it has been told.

Heads and representatives of key security sector departments and agencies attended.

“Papua New Guinea is highly vulnerable to internal and transnational threats especially at this time when our country is booming economically,” National Intelligence Organisation director Bruno Micah said.

“We can’t wait till something happens and we start to build our defence capability,” he said.

Commissioner of Customs Ray Paul supported the drafting of the document.

Paul said PNG Customs was one of the front line security agencies in the country that checked what was entering and going out of PNG and there was a need for a collaborative effort from such organisations in drafting the white paper.

The National Fisheries Authority representative Gisa Romagin stressed the impact of trans-migration in which his organisation had been involved in prosecuting many cases of illegal fishing.

Another highlight of the discussion was the re-establishment of the joint servicescollege.

Assistant Police Commissioner Awan Sete said: “It is important that the joint services college be revived in order to strengthen collaboration, cooperation and relationships across all national security agencies.”

During the meeting, all the national security sector departmental heads and representatives pledged their support for the new white paper.

PNGDF commander Brig-Gen Francis Agwi said:”The Defence White Paper is owned by the national government and I assure you that defence will provide frank and honest advice to government for the writing of the new Defence White Paper.”