Business houses should lead the way

THE Boroko CBD is a filthy place with plastic bags, buai shells and spittle and rubbish all over the place.
The informal sector so­lution worsened the pro­blem by attracting opportunists.
The governor needs to do more to make the area cleaner and safer.
Residents should take ownership of the situation.
Boroko is home to some of the biggest business houses.
City Pharmacy Ltd has a couple of stores there, TST has no less than three shops, Nambawan Trophy Ltd has its original store there and CHM began there too and has a second grander store, Centrepoint.
The three big banks (ANZ, BSP and Westpac) have offices and branches there, as does EMTV, that has its original studios and offices in Boroko.
There is also a leading private hospital – Pacific International Hospital, a large private school (Salvation Army School), government offices (Electo­ral Commission, NISIT, Office of Climate Change and Development) as well as the largest post office in the city and the only official rugby ground in Port Moresby where international matches are held.
All these entities need to co-ordinate with the appropriate authorities to come up with a solution to the seemingly impossible mess.
They are the residents and their informed decisions would be more effective than any lone NCDC effort.
This kind of zoned, localised control for the benefit of all could be a precedent for other areas that are being overrun by rubbish and opportunists.
These business houses need to decide whether to continue ignoring the pro­blem or take the lead and address it.
Capitalism has shown us that some things are better done by free enterprise, and this is one of them.

Boroko Observer
Port Moresby