City ban will affect us as well, says uni student

 A University of Papua New Guinea student has argued that the complete ban on betel nuts will affect students. 

Accounting student Moses Yakumbum, pictured, said his studies relied heavily on the income from betel nut sale his mother earned.

He said the income earned by his mother was enough to meet bus fares and other school expenses. 

It assists his father who is a casual labourer. 

He said the complete ban would cause problems for families such as his who  depended entirely on the sale of betel nuts. 

“Mothers sell betel nuts to sustain the families and pay fees for tertiary students,” he said. 

He said fees for tertiary institutions were not subsidised by the Government.

“What is the government’s solution for that problem? 

“Are there any other plans to create other informal markets to take up the place of betel nuts?” he said.

“Or are there any jobs created to employ the ones whose lifeline depends on selling betel nuts? 

“Or is the governor planning to send them home?”

He said the ban affected the economy and the cash flow in National Capital District, Gulf and Central.

He said the setting up of checkpoints at three different locations was much more expensive than just employing the city rangers to clean the city and monitoring it.