Papua New Guinea's parliament has passed tougher gun laws to address the widespread use of such weapons in crimes and in tribal fights.
The new penalties include over $US300,000 in fines or a jail term of up to five years for the use of unlicensed firearms and the misuse and abuse of licensed arms.
The penalty for the manufacture of firearms has also increased to imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Restrictions on the types of guns allowed have also been introduced including hefty penalties for possessing silencers.
Police Minister, Hon. Jelta Wong's amendments to the Firearms Act were unanimously supported.
Mr Wong said the aim is to regulate and control the licensing and use of firearms.
He said the escalation of law and order problems across the country indicated the ineffectiveness of the previous penalties.
Source: radionz.co.nz