By Mickey Kavera – EM TV, Port Moresby
A local businessman in Tari, Hela province, has called for the uplifting of the liquor ban.
George Tagobe who runs the Hela Bushman Lodge says, the liquor ban imposed by the Southern Highland Provincial government has no relevance to Hela Province.
“Hela is a new province and not part of Southern Highlands and should not abide by any laws passed by the Southern Highlands Provincial government,” he says.
For years he has been trying to secure licence to trade liquor but was unsuccessful.
“I have clients who stay at my lodge and continuously ask for liquor but I cannot offer them because I don’t have access.”
The ban has given rise to smuggling of liquor and a rise in the consumption of homebrew or “fire wara” as known by the locals in Hela Province.
Though lucrative with a can of beer costing K15, it is also risky business with the ban been imposed for too long, Tagobe says.
