Transcript
The ban applies to liquor stores or bottle shops and excludes hotels, restaurants and nightclubs.
It makes it more difficult and more expensive for the average person on the street to buy and consume alcoholic drinks.
But Madang MP Bryan Kramer says the ban is unsustainable and will only give rise to an increase in bootlegging.
"When you issue a liquor ban where majority of those that actually formerly will go to the store and buy their liquor are your working class. So what will happen then is once they are cut off then people resort to homebrew. Then this then drives up the value of homebrew because the demand increases for it and then the issue then is that instead of addressing social problems it actually worsens it."
However just over a month into the ban the provincial police commander for Madang, Ben Neneo, says it is already having a positive impact.
"Yes because of the ban we have seen a big improvement especially in the town. It is very quiet and peaceful, people moving around freely. And the public are receptive they appreciate what the government has done in banning the liquor."
Beverly Natera of the Madang Country Women's Association says it is still too early to say whether or not the ban is good for the community.
However she says she is glad it has been introduced.
"As a woman I think it is good. Because most of the problems occur from over consumption of alcohol. We have violence in the family, wife bashing, sometimes the children are abused, killings, murder. I am not sort of saying that it is alcohol alone that does it but it will be a great help if alcohol is removed."
But Bryan Kramer says the focus should be on improving policing and enforcement of rules and regulations around alcohol consumption.
"My first approach would be to write formally to the governor and then get his view in relation to it. Hopefully have a meeting and he will reconsider the decision. The other option is to lobby members of the PEC to consider changing the decision. And short of that is to lobby the entire assembly, call a meeting and then deal with this issue. And the last option is, failing that, is the matter will end up in court."
A court case looks likely given Madang Governor Peter Yama is standing by his executive's decision to impose the ban.
"I want to get Madang people to understand that Madang government intends to rebuild Madang to surface the former glory days. And we will take whatever steps we believe is necessary to achieve our objectives. Law and order is a major problem. Alcohol abuse has been identified as contributing to this."
Earlier this month the managing director of PNG's South Pacific Brewery, Stan Joyce, also expressed his company's disappointment at the ban.
Mr Joyce claims liquor bans have never been effective in PNG, and says his team will be reaching out to the Madang provincial government to discuss alternatives.
