Caption: Moresby South PM showing the PM
designs for the buai market to be built at Koki.
Caption: PM flanked by both Governor Parkop (L) and Moresby South MP Tkatchenko (R).
By
MATTHEW VARI
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has announced plans through the National Capital District Commission that specified areas within all city markets will now be built to allow the sale and chewing of the controversial nut.
The PM has said that the government stands by the decision of NCD Governor Powes Parkop, and in line with the licensing and selling concept introduced in the letter part of last year sellers and chewers will now have a place to chew the much consumed nut.
He said that the habits of residents and health concerns were major reasons to why the city authority had taken the stance.
“The buai ban is not something to stop you from making business, it is for us to have a clean environment for you to sell your produce and make you business,” Mr O’Neill said.
“We will support the expansion of the market again in the years to make a special section for the chewing and selling of betelnut.”
“It will cost k2,5 million to construct and we will do the same concept for Gordons, Gerehu, Hohola, and other places in the country we will have special sections to sell betelnut.”
He however reminded residents in the city that the arrangement did not mean that the city would go back to the formers days of filth and littering.
“It does not mean that you will go back to the old ways, there must be discipline and we must not throw betelnut and spit all over the place.”
“It brings in a lot of sicknesses like TB (Tuberculosis) that has been killing our people- you must not think about your own happiness but also think about the future of the community.”
“That is why we have agreed to have specific locations to sell buai in all markets in NCD where you can only chew buai in declared areas, where there will be chewing areas that are clean and hygienic.”
He said that work on the markets would begin immediately with the first being the additional extension of the Koki Market at the cost of K2.5 million through the national Government’s Markets Program.
“It is a hard decision that the governor had to make and I want to tell our residents in the city that we too support the governor in his decision and why we support it is that it brings out the ugly side of us,” the PM added.
“When we chew without control we cause problems, and leaders are faced with tough decisions that may be unpopular but they do for the good of the people.”
“Buai chewing must be a clean habit for the future.”
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