PNG Customs has declared a month long amnesty to online businesses in PNG to come forward and declare their products.
Customs Commissioner, Ray Paul, said online businesses need to declare their sales of excisable goods since the inception of their operations, and where they were paying their excise duty.
He said penalties will be imposed on those who are reluctant to comply with the order. In most cases, the products that are sold online cost less than what’s being charged in stores, with online retail becoming incredibly popular throughout PNG.
This raises the concern on the process involved in the purchasing of the excisable products.
Such products are beer, spirits, alcohol, and cigarettes. As it is still new in PNG, there are no governing laws on online marketing.
But currently it is governed under the Customs Risk Management Act.
Customs believe that online selling prices are not correct.
Commissioner Paul said that all excise duties are sanctioned by Customs, and he explained that if the duty sale of a good is K20, how can online businesses sell their products below K20. This is the second time Customs have given online businesses a month’s amnesty for them to voluntarily come forward and declare their products.
