Page 17 - IB February 2024

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Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, is recovering That Budget was passed in the National Parliament on 28th
from looting and burning of businesses in its National Capital November 2023.
District (NCD) after members of the PNG Police Force went Frustrated members of the police force began passing
on strike last month. messages on to their colleagues, as well as to the members
“Black Wednesday” resulted in 22 deaths and massive of the PNG Defence Force, the PNG Correctional Services,
losses to businesses amounting to over K1.27 billion and other agencies, urging them to meet at the Unagi Oval,
(US$0.33 billion). minutes from Port Moresby’s Jackson International Airport.
In its wake are lingering fears that the long-standing And so by 9am, a huge convoy of police vehicles, and military
development issues that sparked Black Wednesday will and prison guards with flashing blue lights and blaring sirens
continue to pile up, exacerbated by the country’s ongoing gathered to demand answers from Prime Minister James
governance difficulties and setting up a similar crisis point Marape and Treasurer Ian Ling Stuckey. They were met by the
in the future. National Police Union President, Lowa Tambua, who delivered
a provocative speech.
What happened Despite efforts to calm the agitated crowd by the Police
January 10 was the first government pay day of 2024. Minister, Peter Tsiamalili Jnr, NCD/Central Province Police
That’s when members of the PNG Police Force in the NCD/ Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Anthony
Central Province Police Divisional Command noticed an Wagambie Jnr, and Port Moresby Metropolitan Commander,
unexpected rise in the tax deduction in their pay. The Superintendent Silva Sika, the gathering moved West to the
K300 (US$81) increase in taxes was due to the payroll not National Parliament, about one kilometre away from Unagi
being configured to factor in the tax threshold changing Oval.
from K17,500 (US$4,719) per annum to K20,000(US$5,393) They were met there by the Speaker of Parliament, Job
per annum, as announced in the 2024 National Budget. Pomat, who attempted to calm them down. By 10am, social
media was awash with photos and videos of members of the
security forces protesting. The public, mostly unemployed
youths living in huge, unplanned squatter settlements, took
advantage of the protest and went amok, looting and burning
business houses across the city - mostly in the electorates of
Moresby South and Moresby Northwest.
As the mayhem intensified during the day, there was
division among the members of the police force. Some
members of the force went around encouraging looters while
others prevented further looting of business houses in other
parts of the city.
The looters spared no one. Foreign-owned shops, as well
shops owned by Papua New Guineans were looted and burnt
to the ground. Social media posts instigated looting in other
urban centres in PNG. However, security forces based in those
centres moved quickly to quell those disturbances.
When the chaos ended at 6pm, looters were heading home
with their spoils from the big shops of Brian Bell, Elisio, City
Pharmacy Limited, Bishmil and other foreign-owned stores.
They were not afraid of being seen with their loot, even
taking to social media to show off their spoils.

Speculation
Social media was rife with speculation that the looting
and burning was politically orchestrated to create instability
for the Marape-Rosso Government, given that a vote of no
confidence was afoot for Parliament’s first sitting of the year
on February 13.
There were also rumors that some politicians had colluded
with certain members of the security forces and government
staff handling the Alesco payroll system (handled by the
Department of Finance and Department of Personnel
Management) to create mayhem.
The next day, January 11, the National Government
declared a 14-day State of Emergency and launched an
Photo: Supplied

Islands Business, February 2024 17