Police close down betel nut market

 By CLEMENT KAUPA

A WEEK of speculation ended when a regular betel nut market in Lae city was bulldozed over the weekend while another faces an uncertain future.

The popular DCA market on the waterfront on Butibam Road to the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium was closed on Saturday when police moved in with a bulldozer and graded the area.

The reason for the closure could not be established but it is most likely the result of road expansion work done in the area.

The beachfront market at Voco Point was expected to close by last Friday.

Vendors at the two seaside markets claimed last Thursday that police had told them on Wednesday that Thursday was their last day of operation.

With DCA’s closure now, about 300 regular betel nut vendors, a good number being mothers, have lost their livelihoods.

There were vendors for cigarettes, food, cold drinks, and small goods. 

More than 1,000 betel nut suppliers have been affected.

Lae city police council Chief Simon Yipam admitted being aware of the move but could not ascertain if there was a  directive in place for police to close the market.

Yipam said moves were afoot to centralise the trade of betel nuts in one big market either at 9-Mile, the city outskirts or China Town market at Bumbu.  

When contacted last week, Governor Kelly Naru said he was not aware of any closures to markets in the city.

“I have not been informed nor briefed about any such move,” Naru said.

A group of regular market mothers at Voco Point contributed K700 to get a restraining order against the closure last week.

Two mothers said they lived off the market and would not go elsewhere.

“We will remain here and take the matter to court,” they said.