By GEORGINA MICHAEL
WABAG MP Hon. Dr. Tom Lino has called for the removal of the Non-Tax Revenue Law, saying it is undermining the capacity of key state institutions to enforce laws and implement international treaties.
Dr. Lino made the call during parliamentary debate on the ratification of 11 International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions relating to the protection of the marine environment.
He commended the Minister for Transport for bringing the conventions before Parliament but stressed that ratifying international treaties must be accompanied by effective domestic laws and adequately funded institutions to enforce them.
“We have a lot of good treaties, but we must have good laws to enforce those treaties so that those who break the law must face justice,” he said.
Dr. Lino said Papua New Guinea needed not only appropriate laws but also well-resourced organisations capable of carrying out their enforcement responsibilities
He argued that while the Non-Tax Revenue Law might have been well-intentioned, its implementation was depriving key enforcement agencies of the funds they needed to perform their statutory functions.
Drawing on his experience as a former Fisheries Minister, Dr. Lino said the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) generated close to K700 million annually through the allocation of fishing days to fishing companies.
“When I was Fisheries Minister, we made close to K700 million just from renting out our days. We don’t catch the fish ourselves, but we just rent the days to fishing companies and we make close to K700 million annually,” he said.
He said the NFA needed adequate funding to conduct surveillance, monitor fishing activities and ensure the country complied with international agreements.
Dr. Lino warned that failure to comply with international fisheries agreements and prevent overfishing could put PNG’s access to international fish markets at risk, including the loss of licences to export fish.
“When the Government is getting all the money, how will NFA perform its mandatory function? And it’s the same with Forestry, Mining and Environment and Conservation,” he told Parliament.
He said building the capacity of state institutions was essential for national development, adding that agencies could only fulfil their mandates if they had sufficient resources to carry out their responsibilities.
Dr. Lino criticised the situation in which Parliament ratified international conventions without ensuring the institutions responsible for implementing them had the capacity and funding to do so.
“We are killing our organisations. We are coming here to pretend and show the people that we are doing good in terms of rectifying conventions and treaties, yet we don’t have the capacity to carry out work,” he said