Riots break out in Papua New Guinea due to a 'technical glitch in the payroll system' and a state of emergency is declared.

A two-week state of emergency was declared in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea , located in the eastern part of the island of New Guinea off the north coast of Australia, after riots that resulted in multiple deaths. The cause of the riot was a configuration error in the payroll management system for national civil servants.

CLARIFICATION ON PAY CUT AND TAXATION MATTERS | myIRC
https://irc.gov.pg/news/media-releases/clarification-on-pay-cut-and-taxation-matters

ALESCO Pay System Blamed For Pay Delay For Public Servants And Teachers - PNG Facts
https://www.pngfacts.com/news/alesco-pay-system-blamed-for-pay-delay-for-public-servants-and-teachers

The riots occurred from January 10th to 11th, 2024. The scale of the disaster was such that 16 people died and a state of emergency was declared. It is reported that the cause of this large-scale riot was that the take-home pay of national civil servants was reduced due to tax reform.

16 people killed in riot in Papua; prime minister declares state of emergency | Reuters
https://jp.reuters.com/markets/japan/funds/GZFEHMLT7NOBTGWQPQV6273O3E-2024-01-11/

As the police and other civil servants were unable to function due to demonstrations, the scale of the riots grew, and looting and assault were rampant in the area. If you look at the movie below, you can clearly see the scale of the riot and the confusion on the ground.

Papua New Guinea: Rioting looters kill 16 after police go on strike - YouTube


Papua New Guinea's Inland Revenue Commission issued a release on January 11, the day the riots broke out, saying: ``We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt condolences to the loss of life and property caused by the unfortunate and unavoidable events of yesterday and today.'' We apologize for the inconvenience,' he said, adding that the violence 'was caused by opportunists, misinformation and political propaganda.'

The Papua New Guinea government has raised the tax exemption standard from 17,500 kyats (about 1,200 yen) to 20,000 kyats (about 1,390 yen) in consideration of the economic impact of the new coronavirus pandemic. However, according to the Inland Revenue Commission, the reorganization of the salary payment system for national civil servants to permanently set the tax exemption threshold at 20,000 kyats was not completed in time, and after January 1, 2024, the tax exemption threshold will drop to 17,500 kyats. He said he went back to chatting. As a result, there was a misunderstanding that ``the salaries of civil servants for January 2024 have been reduced due to the government's tax system.''

The Internal Revenue Commission says that the reduction in salary is due to a technical glitch, such as a system configuration error, and is not due to a tax increase. However, at the same time, the dependent deduction was abolished, and false information such as ``the government increased taxes and withheld salaries'' spread, leading to riots.

The Internal Revenue Service also said in a statement: 'This outcry and confusion is not the result of any effect on the repeal of the dependent exemption, but rather the failure to restructure the payroll system. The issue has already been resolved. Therefore, this will be corrected with the February 2024 payroll payment.'

At the same time, 'we categorically condemn the looting and assault by individuals who take advantage of the absence of law enforcement. Many of these criminals are not salaried taxpayers and have no rational basis for their actions. These actions are unacceptable and all Papua New Guineans of good conscience, regardless of their political views or allegiances, should reject and condemn these actions. There are no excuses for these actions. I am extremely ashamed to be a proud Papua New Guinean.'