People urged to respect, take ownership of market facilities

By JAMES GUMUNO
Hagen rural local level government has called on people to respect Mt Hagen Market facilities put up by Australian taxpayers.
President Wai Rapa said this yesterday as the market continued to be a hotspot for crime and other illegal activities.
He said the market was supposed to support farmers from rural districts, however, this was not the case.
Rapa said people living in settlements and so-called landowners terrorised vendors, collected illegal fees, stole from customers and carried out other illegal activities in the market.
He said prices of goods sold in stores were increasing and many people depended on the market for their survival.
“I want to appeal to the minority group of people carrying out illegal activities at the market to stop,” Rapa said.
“I respect other people going in and out of the market.”
Rapa said the Australian government was so generous to have built such a modern market for the people of Mt Hagen and they must reciprocate by taking ownership.
He warned the minority group of people going around carrying out illegal activities to stop immediately.
Rapa said that market police were there but were outnumbered by the thugs.
He also appealed to stores located near the market to control their rubbish and dispose them at the dump site at Keribuk.
The area near the market is an eyesore with rubbish everywhere.
Rapa said a major clean-up exercise would be carried out at the market this month involving council and police.
He said people selling store goods in the market should stop as it was only for garden produce.