Betelnut Market to be built at Koki

Caption - Governor Parkop and Minister Thatchenko inspect the proposed area for the betelnut market.





By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, February 1, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)





A new betelnut market will be built at Koki for sellers and resellers of the much consumed nut, in the Moresby South electorate.

This was confirmed by NCD Governor Powes Parkop and Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko at the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Koki footbridge.

The market would be managed with strict guidelines, including terms where buyers can only purchase and take away and not chew or resell in and around the premises.

Both MP's agreed that the move would help ease the ongoing issues faced by NCD's betelnut ban.

"Our efforts to curb the sale and consumption of betelnut in public places for the good of health, hygiene and the city's image, have faced a lot of challenges- so we have taken this step to ensure that while we can allow for our people to buy and sell, it will be in a controlled area," Governor Parkop said.

Minister Tkatchenko added that the market would provide a proper premise for those who were dependant on the sale of the nut, as well as buyers.

"This is a great concept but it is up to those who sell and buy to ensure that rules set out are adhered to, and health, hygiene and image are first and foremost,” Tkatchenko said.

“We are not animals to keep issuing the same things about what is good and what is bad, people should to be educated enough to know this."

The project is a joint NCDC and Moresby South project at a total cost around K2mil at the area of the old Koki Community Hall, behind the new Koki Market.