PNG plans pre-poll illegal firearms amnesty

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The Papua New Guinea government is trying to reduce the number of illegal firearms in the country ahead of next year’s general elections.

The government is reacting to a reported build-up of firearms and other weapons in hotly-contested districts.

PNG’s Police Commissioner Gari Baki said police were introducing an amnesty this month for unlicensed firearms.

“If you have an unlicensed firearm that you want to surrender to the police, then you can surrender that without being subject to the provisions of the law, then that comes into collections and it goes into destruction,” he said.

Baki said police would work with the PNG Defence Force to monitor provinces with a high rate of gun violence.

“It’s very important considering the fact there’s a lot of negativity on the use of firearms, particularly up in the highlands,” he said.

The commissioner said police were also considering a proposal to review gun laws to introduce tougher penalties for possessing unlicensed weapons.

The government is also trying to halve the cost of holding national elections next year.

It has budgeted 400 million kina (A$164 million) to run the 2017 elections, about half what the last national elections cost in 2012.

Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari said costs would be reduced by centralising procurement and payments, and other initiatives.

“Elections in this country are a very expensive exercise,” he said. “We’ve had 10 elections so far since independence and the cost of elections every five years has escalated to a point where some sort of stocktake needs to take place.

“Going by the 2012 elections the cost next year could be close to about 800 million kina, but if we put this process in place we are confident that we will reduce that cost down.”

Lupari said the PNG Electoral Commission would lock in fixed rates with contractors and suppliers and would have a specific logistics team in charge of procurement.

He said this would avoid the problem electoral officers experienced in previous elections, where they had multiple responsibilities, often making payments and procuring services on an “ad hoc” basis.

“The electoral officers will focus 100 per cent on the elections,” Lupari said.

The Electoral Commission now has a national logistics plan and will use an electronic payment system instead of paying contractors, officials and security forces by cheques.

Lupari said he hoped the measures would prevent the cost of the election blowing out and leaving the next administration with unpaid expenses.

The 2012 election left the Federal Government with 80 million kina in outstanding expenses. - PNC/ABC