School board backs ban
The National, Thursday October 10th, 2013
THE board chairman of a primary school in Western Highlands has supported the betel nuts ban in the National Capital District.
St Peter’s Ulya Primary School board chairman Peter Kaka said the move by NCD Governor Powes Parkop to stop the trading of buai showed what a true leader he was.
“Parkop is a true leader who has the heart for this country and wants the nation’s capital to be a model city for the country,” Kaka said.
He said it was a challenge for other governors.
“The sale of betel nuts in the highlands is big business, and it is hard for sellers to stop selling because it is an everyday money-making thing.”
He said people gave up cash crops farming like coffee to focus on betel nuts.
“They gave up farming and are concentrating on selling betel nuts. They believe that sale of betel nuts is a fast way of making money,” he said.
Kaka said it made people lazy. He urged leaders in the province to ban betel nuts sale in the city.
He said Mt Hagen had fertile land and the people should go back and farm the land.
He described Hagen as one of the main distributors of betel nuts for Enga and Southern Highlands.
He urged Governor Paias Wingti to find land for betel nuts sellers to ply their trade.