Market ‘to stay closed’

Vendors and the public can expect another long wait before the K26 million new Madang market is ready for business, businessman Sir Peter Barter says.
Sir Peter said vendors would still be forced to sell their vegetables under unhygienic conditions in gutters without water, sanitation and shelter while they waited for a new board to be established to operate the market.
He said he was concerned that the Madang Urban LLG and the provincial government were  in a tug-of -war to run the market.
Madang Mayor Joe Yama said the MULLG would still do another opening ceremony of the market.
“At this point in time, I want to let the people of Madang know that I still haven’t received the key to the main market. The market will be open when I have the key,” Yama said.
While Yama and 10 ward councillors prepare their own members for the new board to run the market, the provincial executive council under Governor Jim Kas were looking to have a meeting to endorse police and choose a board to manage the market.
Kas said an independent provincial market authority would run the market.
Madang MP Nixon Duban said the market would be looked after by a proper market authority and it should include the people of Bel, Transgogol and Ambenob.
Yama said the next step was to take the matter to court because MULLG initiated the project in 2014, asking Jica to fund it.
and asked Japanese agency Jica to fund it.