Parkop: Keep market safe, clean

The National National
Vendors cutting a cake on Monday to mark the first anniversary of the establishment of the new Gordon Market in Port Moresby. – Picture supplied

NCD Governor Powes Parkop has urged people to work together to make Gordon Market cleaner, safer and a better place than what it was before.
Parkop said this on Monday during the first anniversary since the upgraded market was opened.
He said Gordon Market was more than a vending space.
Parkop said 80 per cent of the vendors comprised of women and girls and the market was not just a platform for buying and selling, but a safe place for women and girls.
He said when the city was safe for women and girls, they were economically empowered and it would represent a progression in the advancement of the country and its people.
Parkop said he was impressed that safety and security incidents at the market had decreased from an average of 20-a-day to three.
He said this did not mean the whole Gordon area was safe but, if there was one place that could pilot the UN Women Safe City programme, it was Gordon Market.
Parkop said urban safety and security was a concern for women and girls but the positive report from the market in its first year of operation was encouraging. “Achieving this goal will be a manifestation of our national visions and goals that are enshrined in our Constitution; the Vision 2050, and the global visions and goals that are stipulated by the United Nation’s sustainable development goals,” he said.
“For the last seven years, in partnership with UN Women, the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) has worked towards making our markets in the city safe for women and girls under the safe cities programme.”
UN Women deputy country representative Caroline Nyamayemombe said it was a great partnership with NCDC and other stakeholders, adding that UN Women would continue to support markets since over 80 per cent of vendors were women and most livelihoods were dependent on income generated from markets.
She thanked Parkop for his vision and for New Zealand funding support.
The NZ High Commission’s James Aipale said his government was committed to investing in markets.
He said they had supported the market redevelopments in Gerehu, Gordon and Sabama in NCD.