Ban ‘partly’ lifted: Parkop

NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says that people are not allowed to sell betel nuts anywhere in the city except designated areas.
The National on Friday reported that the ban in the city was lifted.
Parkop said that, that was not correct.
Parkop said the ban was partially lifted last year to allow betel nut trading in designated areas.
“The ban was (partially) lifted last year when we (NCDC) opened the Koki betel nut market,” Parkop said.  He said some locations were already identified and had been officially designated as vending areas for the nuts.
He said the National Capital District Commission management was in the process of identifying new locations.
Parkop said he changed the betel nut ban strategy last year when Moresby-South MP Justin Tkatchenko, with the support of the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, decided to build a betel market in Koki.
“We cannot have a betel market down in Moresby-South and everywhere else no market.
“Betel nut is allowed back but it should be sold in specific sites.”
Parkop said he was waiting for the NCDC management to identify the vending sites so everybody could be clear about where to go.
He said a report stating that the betel nut ban in the city was lifted was misleading.
“In a public place like downtown Port Moresby, Boroko, Waigani, (and) Vision City, it’s not allowed,” he said.
“We have not identified those sites as vending in any way, either wholesale or retail.
“Our biggest challenge is enforcement because we have changed from a (total) ban to a regulated ban.”