City manager cancels market kiosk permit

By BERRY DINGHAN
THE National Capital District Commission (NCDC) has cancelled a permit for a kiosk at the Boroko market after it discovered that a non-citizen was to operate it, an official says.
City manager Bernard Kipit said he had ordered “the cancellation of the trial permit to the kiosk operator and the removal of the container (to be used as the kiosk) from the market premises forthwith”.
He had received a proposal from British American Tobacco (BAT) to model partial small-medium enterprises in city markets to empower citizens.
“On advice from my officers, I approved the proposal via a letter to BAT on Aug 16, 2019, by nominating the recommended local business to be partnered in this three-month trial SME at Boroko, Waigani and Gerehu markets subject to the regulatory approvals,” he said.
After the complaint about the non-citizen installing the kiosk, Kipit said they concluded that the local business which obtained the trial permit from NCDC “may have sub-leased it to the non-citizens”.
“I have ordered a thorough investigation into how a licence issued to a local business (was transferred to non-citizens) and how they were allowed to take up space inside the market.
“They were supposed to be operating from the car park outside.”