Fines to start next week

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

DEPUTY City Manager for NCD, Honk Kiap, said yesterday that fines for those caught with illegal quantities of betelnut will be enforced as of next week.

Midweek Chronicle caught up with the Deputy City manager at the Laloki Bridge roadblock yesterday- witnessing vehicles were being searched- from PMVs, huge construction trucks, and private vehicles.

“We are just confiscating them and destroying the nuts, as infringement notices and book are all being finalized,” he said.

“Hopefully by next week when they are ready we will start charging people- drivers trying to smuggle betel-nut in will be charged K1,000, not those buying the nuts.”

“Right now we are not charging anybody, because we are still sorting out administrative issues yet to be sorted out.”

With over 800 bags confiscated, Kiap was adamant the message was getting through to the public.  

“So far so good- the last two days since January 1, we have confiscated over 800 bags of buai which have been destroyed,” he said.

“People are starting to get the message and the roadblocks will continue until the markets up at Ruburogo are completed.”

He said the commission would look at ways to control sale in the city in the future, however, the ban was in full force as of the first.

“We are aligning programs where we control the sale in the city, but in the meantime we are setting up these roadblocks to prevent people bringing in large quantities into the city but to sell at the retail market currently under construction.”

The Deputy Manager added that there were still people who were smuggling the nuts, trying to cross the Laloki river.

“The risk is that people end up being robbed or attacked because it is not a place for them to do that.”

“People are going through the trouble of concealing betelnuts under seats, in seats, into door frames, and under bonnets of vehicles, those are extreme measures, but we have not imposed penalties on them yet.”

Kiap reiterated that the two kilogram personal consumption allowance was still allowed- something that was contradicting the interpretation of rangers at the roadblocks who told the paper that nuts not exceeding 20 in total were allowed, not by weight.