Work permit valid, says lawyer

LAWYERS assisting the former general manager of NCD Botanical Enterprise Ltd, Wolfgang Bandisch, said their client has a valid work permit while working with the company for the last five years.
Dakan Doiwa of Pacific Legal Group was referring to an article published in T he National recently, which stated that Bandisch was working in the country as the general manager of NCD Botanical Enterprise without a valid work permit for the last five years.
However, the counsel clarified  that Bandisch did had a valid work permit but did not have a temporary residence visa, which the company had failed to arrange one for him while working with the company.
She said that was the reason Mr Bandisch took the company to court for breach of employment contract including damages for the inconvenience caused to him in having to leave the country every 59 days to renew his business visa, which he had relied on since he commenced work with the company.
“Our client’s claim against the company was for expenses incurred for having to renew his business visa as the company he had worked for, failed to obtain a temporary residence visa that would allow him to live and work in the country for a longer period of time,” Ms Doiwa said.
She said Bandish was employed with a valid work permit and business visa which was valid for 60 days only, thus requiring him to fly in and out of the country on several occasions per year.
She added that at no time did the court find that Mr Bandisch was illegally working as the manager of NCD Botanical Enterprise.
“Non-citizens are required to have a work permit to allow them to be employed in PNG and following this, a non-citizen is then required to have the appropriate visa to stay in the country to work and all exact requirements of non-citizens should be obtain from the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations,” she said.