Parkop vows to enforce betel nut ban

 By MOUA OMOA

NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says extreme measures will be used in the campaign to ban the chewing of betel nut in the city.

“The vendors and chewers have shown a total disregard for the city regulations and health concerns,” he said.

“They have shown that it is not possible to regulate them so they have forced us to consider this extreme measure to control their activities.”

Parkop said culture and the need to earn a living from the sale of betel nut were being used as excuses to justify the sale and chewing of betel nut.

But he said the cost of cleaning the city and the health risk to city residents were very high.

“I am tired of those who use this excuse to pollute our streets and city with filth, rubbish and it is a disgusting sight,” he said.

He said the sale and chewing of betel nut would be done outside the city. 

“It’s not a new initiative. We intend to ensure people trade and chew betel nut outside the city like other towns and cities in the country including Mt Hagen, Madang, Lae and Goroka,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Parkop said the NCDC would conduct an urban census to register long-term city residents. 

This is required to monitor the number people and their movements in and out of Port Moresby.

Parkop said there was no proper monitoring of people coming into the urban areas and living in squatter settlements.

He said there were no immediate plans to repatriate people to their provinces. NCDC hopes to develop the settlements into suburbs with proper sanitation and facilities, the same now undertaken at 8-Mile and 9-Mile.

Parkop said one of the objectives 

of the census was to identify old 

people living in the city and those with severe disabilities and give them some pension.