Businesses and dealers who import or supply unapproved information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and devices will face heavy fines and their merchandise will be confiscated and destroyed.
PNG Customs and ICT industry regulator, NICTA, today issued the warning as a result of the growing illegal and mainly substandard radio communication equipment and devices flooding PNG.
These unapproved ICT apparatus and devices are mainly of low quality and are not durable.
The public has been urged to refrain from buying them and report to Customs or NICTA those involved in the import, sale or supply of the illegal merchandise.
Customs officers and NICTA inspectors will step up presence and surveillance at ports of entry and border areas of the country.
It has become increasingly clear that some businesses and dealers are not complying with or have been ignoring existing laws and standards for the import, sale or distribution of ICT merchandise in the country.
Under the National ICT Act 2009 offenders face a fine of K 10,000 for an offence committed or K 10,000 per day for each day of non-compliance.
The updated “type approved” listing of ICT Apparatus and Authorised Dealers can be obtained from the NICTA website on http://www.nicta.gov.pg
All importers of ICT merchandise are reminded that it is an indictable offence to import, use, sell, supply or possess unapproved radio communication apparatus that operate outside of the terms and conditions of the NICTA approved licences under the PNG Spectrum Plan.
These include items such as transistor radios and car stereos receiving signals outside of the approved band of 88.0 MHz and 108.0 MHz.
Used car importers will not be spared and cars installed with radio receivers operating outside of this range will have the systems removed.