The Papua New Guinea Chamber of Commerce says the withdrawal of Australian police from PNG will hurt the economy and could threaten peace in Bougainville province.
161 Assisting Australian Police in PNG under a 650 million US dollar aid package with Australia are to leave PNG for Australia tomorrow following a court ruling.
The PNG Supreme Court has found that immunity granted to Australian police and some 40 civil servants was unconstitutional.
The Chamber of Commerce president, Michael Mayberry, disagreed with the seeking of immunity, on the basis there should be one law for everyone in the country.
But he says the court victory's a hollow one that could cost PNG millions.
And he says slip-ups by PNG Government legal advisers and Australian advisers enabled it to happen.
"It's too much wishful thinking of 'Oh well that we think it's OK', and things like that. So that we've got people that, you know, disagree with the thing, and I guess in a way this win for the people that disagreed, we think it's going to be a hollow victory because they are going to pay the price the same as everybody else if we don't get substantial improvements in the well-being for the community here in PNG."
Michael Mayberry.
