Madang businesses warned: ‘comply with trading laws or face penalties’

Business houses operating in Madang Town have been issued a strong warning to immediately comply with all government laws regulating business operations, or risk facing penalties and possible enforcement action.

The warning comes amid concerns from the Madang Urban Local-Level Government [MULLG] that some businesses are deliberately breaching government-sanctioned public holidays and trading regulations.

Acting Town Manager Titus Futrepa said the town authority has observed repeated non-compliance by certain business operators, particularly retail shops.

“Foreign businesses operating in Madang, or anywhere in Papua New Guinea, must comply with our established laws. They must respect the laws of this country, just as we would respect their laws if we were operating in their country,” Futrepa said.

He revealed that several business houses have consistently failed to observe both national and local regulations, adding that named shops will be penalised accordingly in the coming days.

Futrepa further warned that any continued breaches will attract severe penalties, reaffirming that enforcement action will not be selective.

He also reiterated that the Madang Urban Local-Level Government remains the sole administering authority responsible for regulating business trading operations within Madang Town.

The MULLG has urged all business operators to familiarise themselves with existing regulations and ensure full compliance to avoid disruptions to their operations.