State urged to address settlers

 THE Government needs to address the problem of unplanned settlements seriously before they turn into slums, says the president of Inclusive Development (PNG) Incorporated, Martin Solomon Mark.

Mark said the National Capital District Commission is developing Port Moresby rather quickly but is not looking properly at the affairs of the settlers it is evicting to bring about development.

He said he was not against development taking place in the city but it was of major concern seeing citizens of the land roaming the streets of Port Moresby and getting into all kinds of trouble to make ends meet.

“As NCDC is evicting settlers, it does not realise that it is creating more law and order problems,” Mark said.

“These are citizens of PNG and they have the same universal right to have a roof over their heads as every other citizen of this land.” 

Home is not just a roof over one’s head but is a symbol of warmth, security and identity and no matter where we live, home is part of what we are, Mark said.

He is calling on the Government to work with non-government organisations like Inclusive Development and other CSOs who were directly dealing with housing problems faced by settlers on a daily basis.

“Inclusive development is a settlement upgrading entity dealing with problems faced by settlers in PNG and I call on the Government to help subsidise its housing programmes if it is really serious about achieving its Vision 2050,” Mark said.

He said he stood ready and prepared and had planning arrangements with various Motu Koita landowners to develop their portions of land into proper suburbs which would be a win-win situation for both the customary landowners and the Government.

Mark said with the help from UN-Habitat Inclusive Development, PNG was fully engaged towards upgrading all unplanned settlements into suburbs in the next year.