By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, April 24, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
THE Leader of the Opposition has called on NCD Governor Powes Parkop to support rather than suppress informal sector residents in the city with law restrictions that he described as “draconian” in nature.
He made the comments when asked about last week’s situation ethnic unrest, which eventually affected public motor vehicle services in the city, for calls by Governor Parkop for NCDC to take over the public motor vehicle system.
Polye said that the PMV saga was not a transport issue but rather one of ethnicity and bullying in the informal sector.
“He (Parkop) is saying it as an instant reaction simply because the Western Highlands buses owned by Western Highlanders have stopped because of a Hela man being injured by a Western Highlander and an ethnic clash ensues with PMV windscreens all broken and Powes says it is a transport issue.”
“It is not a transport problem, it is a problem caused by two things, one being ethnicity of people and the second is him and his rogue policemen picking and bullying the informal sector people in the city.”
“This is the cause of the problem, if you want to solve that problem this is where you must address the ethnicity and informal marketing that he must support. Instead I see him telling the police to stop the informal marketing,” Polye said.
He said that the survival of residents were at stake and has led to the breakdown in law and order with youths resorting to crime.
“How will the people survive here, what a foolish statement he is saying- people need to survive in this city with the cost of living very high, even people getting a fortnight salary cannot be able to support themselves.”
“He should be talking about supporting SMEs. I call on Powes Parkop to support SMEs and support informal businesses in this country.”
“Don’t get police to chase betelnut sellers and abuse their human rights. Mothers and fathers and youths want to make money create a market where they can sell betelnut in another location.”
He said that the informal sector should be given its fair share to grow via designate places reserved as it contributes to the growth of the city.
“Where did he learn that the informal sector does not grow the city in Port Moresby? The informal sector builds up the country’s economy- look at Brisbane, Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore the informal sector grew up those cities.”
“It builds up a middle class economy that should be supported and built properly, facilitated and to grow. Not getting police to destroy the market, burning them down here at Gordons.”
“It is not a transport issue- on the transport issue the people must own the taxis and bus services that is where they make their living. If he is trying to close, regulate, and restrain from owning and running business the only thing that he will only be creating one or two people own businesses that people will run in the name of creating an efficient system.”
“You will then make most of our young people, owning these buses and taxies, become unemployed and you will find crime rises as a result and leaders need to think smart strategies and not just reactive comments,” Polye said.
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