By Julie Badui Owa – EMTV News, Lae
Morobe Governor, Ginson Saonu, has demanded all foreign-owned shops in the province to stop selling counterfeit bilums.
This came after members of the public in Lae raised their concerns about fake bilums woven in factories in China were being sold at several Asian shops in Lae City.
Morobe Provincial Government will meet with the respective authorities to end this issue of concern. The Morobe Governor was clearly unhappy about how the bilums were being copied, mass produced in China and imported into Papua New Guinea.
Speaking to EMTV yesterday (July 3), Mr Saonu said these counterfeit products will destroy the small businesses owned by Papua New Guineans.
In 2014, Papua New Guinean women criticized the authorities in the country for allowing foreign companies to import PNG’s meri-blouses, which were being made in China and sold in PNG.
On Monday (July 2), residents of Lae raised concerns over fake bilums woven in factories in China and are currently sold at various foreign owned shops in town.
While the Governor for Morobe will meet with authorities to solve this issue, he ordered the foreign owned shops to stop selling the fake products as of today (July 4).
