Commission hosting Independence Day bazaar

By AILEEN KWARAGU
THE National Capital District is hosting an Independence Day Sea Park Bazaar at Ela Beach in Port Moresby with over 200 small and medium enterprise (SME) registered to promote traditionally handmade crafts and food.
NCD events manager Claudia Towak told The National yesterday that the idea of setting up the market was due to Covid-19 protocols in the city.
“We could not do a big show because of the community transmission of Covid-19 in the city,” she said,
“The National Pandemic Controller David Manning only approved that we do a market like the Sea Park Bazaar.”
Towak said the market was an initiative of Governor Powes Parkop to assist SMEs.
“The bazaar started last week Thursday with more than 200 vendors but the only challenge we are facing getting customers through because no buses come this way.”
She said restrictions had forced NCDC to cancel their annual independence programmes.
“For entertainments, NCDC was not allowed to bring big artists because that draws crowds and as much as we do not want to breach social distancing protocols,” Towak said.
Joy Kaugla, the owner of Ponjo Flori Business and Guteme Catering Services, said she was thankful that NCDC had hosted a market to assist local SMEs in the city despite the spike in Covid-19 cases.
“Before this market, we had committed to selling our project from our homes but that was not enough especially for me as a single parent who heavily depends on this to earn for my three children,” she said.
“Last year a similar market was set for SMEs and it boosted us to continue with what we were doing.”
She said most SMEs exposed their products through their websites and social media but most of the local SMEs like them rely on such markets.