The Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry (POMCCI) Inc. has expressed its concern that the Wednesday 10th January riots and destructions in the city, could lead to more hardship to be faced by the businesses, their employees and their suppliers in the weeks to come.
The POMCCI President, Mr. Rio Fiocco in statement that condemned the attacks on the major supermarkets and warehouses by looters, said that they sympathize with the members of the POMCCI who are being affected dearly from that faithful day.
“Our members, including major employers like CPL Group and The Brian Bell Group, have suffered millions of Kina in loss and damages which will continue as they no longer have supermarkets and warehouses to operate,” said the president.
“They, along with our members, employ hundreds of people whose jobs are now at risk. Also, those farmers and other local suppliers will suffer as a consequence of all the destruction in our nation’s capital.”
He also stressed that the businesses pay taxes to the government and that money from that tax pay the police, teachers and all the other public servants.
“We must always respect other people’s properties as well as the rule of law. God bless PNG and all the people who live and work in our beautiful country.”
Mr. Fiocco said that what happened on Wednesday 10th January was very shameful for Papua New Guinea in the eyes of the international community and could lead to overseas based businesses rethinking of investing their hard-earned money in the country.