Average citizens are finding it difficult to access even the most basic services, such as the signing of a statutory declaration.
Citizens are forced to stand in long lines – exposed to the elements – just to get their documents signed or stamped.
A long line forms outside the Lae courthouse every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at midday.
Citizens wishing to get a Commissioner of Oaths stamp on their documents start lining up outside the courthouse premises at 12pm – or earlier – waiting for the counter to open at 1.30pm.
Molina Dennis travelled all night from Madang to get her documents signed in Lae so she could access her superannuation funds.
She worked in Lae from 2017 to 2019, then moved to Madang.
With limited funding, she has to push herself to get all her documents sorted and submitted to Nasfund as the longer she stays in the city, the more money she has to spend.
“Mi kam na mi stretim tasol samting ino work out gut,” she said. (I came here to fix it but things did not work out well.)
“Na yu save, nau em disla kain system ol i tok olsem, wanem bank requirement, yu mas mekim. So mi go kam na mekim disla wok na nau moning, mi kam go antap lo Nasfund, ol chekim na tok, bai yu go daun lo kot haus na ol bai stempim.” (With the stringent banking process as well, all requirements have to be met. I’ve been going about with that, then this morning, I went up to Nasfund and was advised that I needed the court’s stamp.)
Dennis waited until lunchtime, where she was advised to get her boss to sign her document before the court will stamp it.
She caught a bus to Six-Mile, got her documents signed and returned at 2pm for the Commissioner of Oaths stamp. However, while the counter was scheduled to open at 1.30pm, it still remained closed, with an officer saying they were still in a meeting.
Dennis and other citizens in the line expressed disappointment and frustration with the system, saying the process could have been made simpler and convenient for the people, especially taxpayers.
If they miss Monday’s signing, they will have to return on Wednesday or Friday, and stand in line again.
“Mi lukim olsem ol no bihainim taim,” she said. (They are not working according to the time that was set.)
“Taim em definitely ol putim nating; ol no bihainim stret. Dei ol makim mipla kam, taim stret mipla kam sanap lo lain but taim ya em go nating; ol no kam.” (We are here on the day that they have allocated, and we are here on time as well, but they are not here.)
“Mi laikim olsem nau nupla gavman, ol ken lukluk gut insait lo disla kain wok seksen. (I hope the new government looks into areas such as this.)
“Ol lukim olsem man o meri inap lo wok gut wantaim ol pipol ol ken stap insait lo ofis na wok. Nogut ol bai stap nating na westim nating taim insait na kaikai nating mani blo gavman.” (They must ensure that officers who work well with the people can remain in office because others will only waste time and waste the government’s money.)
