Anti-filth campaign praised

By DAVID WAPAR
THE “Change This” campaign run by this newspaper for the past two weeks has been welcomed and encouraged by the National Capital District Commission (NCDC).
NCD Governor Powes Parkop wanted pictures of litterbugs and betel nut chewers to be published in the newspapers to shame people into discontinuing their filthy habits.
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He also wanted a battalion-size contingent from the PNG Defence Force to be called out to “help me reduce opportunity crime to its lowest level, enforce litter and hygiene laws, enforce physical planning law, enforce parking and traffic laws and help promote the common values that are important for our collective welfare”.
Parkop made these comments as he welcomed and encouraged this newspaper’s “Change This” campaign which had been running over the past two weeks.
He said as the country prepared to host the Pacific Games in three years (2015), a clean-up effort would be necessary in order to present a positive picture to the region and the world.
“I deeply appreciate it. One of my key goals is to improve the physical image of our city and
create a physical environment that can promote positive values and attitude and also support quality life,” he said in an e-mail message.
“Such campaign and activities by corporate citizens in our city are therefore to be welcomed and encouraged.”
However, he urged that more reporting should be aimed at encouraging the public to change its attitude and take responsibility, rather than pressuring the (NCDC) to clean up or act on the perpetrators.
Parkop said despite NCDC’s countless efforts and resources to clean up and clamp down on perpetrators, nothing would change if people did not change their conduct towards being responsible for their own rubbish.
“In my view, it would be more effective if we all run a campaign where we publish photographs of the perpetrators of these unhygienic habits.
“This will shame them into changing their behaviours,” Parkop said.
He said NCDC would set up regulatory and management mechanisms to start spot fines to be enforced alongside a “shame campaign”.