NCD launches youth advisory committee

NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says the Government has given a lot of “lip
service” to youths in the country over the years with minimal interventions to support youth development.
Parkop said this during a media conference in Port Moresby yesterday when announcing the NCD Youth Advisory Committee which also coincided with World Youth Day yesterday which recognises the importance of youths in society.
“In our capital city, we are making a strong commitment to hear the voices and the challenges of our young people and to provide pathways for them to realise their potential and their talents and strengths,” he said.
“We have done that through the Tvet (technical and vocational education) scholarship programme, the urban youth employment project, the active city programme and sporting activities.”
Parkop said NCDC was making a strong commitment to support young people and the establishment of the committee (NCD Youth Advisory Committee) was creating a pathway where the voice of youths in the city could be heard through the city hall.
“It is provided for in the National Capital District Commission Act that youths must be represented on the NCDC board and that is the pathway that we want our youths in the city to be represented,” he said.
“The Government, over the years, has given too much lip service to youths in the country without providing useful interventions and pathways for them to realise their potential.
“I want the responsible agencies like the Ministry and the Department for Youth, Religion and Community Development and the National Youth Development Authority to come up with policies and legislations where we have provincial and district youth committees or councils.”