Vendors: Informal sector policy a big help

By PATRICK TALI in Minj
THE government’s po­licy on the informal sector has benefited many ordinary people who have made buying-and-selling their source of livelihood.
This was according to a mother of four, who, last week, bought a Toyota HiAce bus from profits earned from selling goods at the Minj junction market, in South Waghi district of Jiwaka province.
Clara Gone, a subsistence vendor from Nokanem clan of Konu­buka tribe in Minj, said she was proud to have acquired the vehicle.
Gone and other mothers from Minj conducted business at the public market at Minj junction along the Okuk Highway.
Gone said she was selling soap, cooking oil, footwear like thongs and clothes which she bought from retail stores in either Mt Hagen or Kundiawa in Chimbu.
They resold their goods at the local market from Monday to Saturday.
Theresa Mol Gari, who also did her selling business with Gone, said they always looked forward to Monday, Friday and Saturday each week when most of their goods were sold out.
“Most of our custo­mers come on these days – Monday, Friday and Saturday – from the border, up the Minj River and other places such as Nondogul in North Waghi to buys from us,” Gari told The National at Minj junction market.
Other mothers, who were also engaged in buy-and-sell, said the informal sector policy had helped them earned more.
They said they were now able to pay for their children’s school fees.
“It is a good small  business for us,” Gone said.
“We do not make much profit but at least we have money in our bilums.”
However, one of their big problems was the cost of bus fare, which they said, was eating much into their daily income.
“Most of our expenses go to  bus fares from Minj to Mt Hagen, which are very costly –  like K6 one way.
“If bus fares were lower, we could earn more … that is our concern … we cannot make more profits … all is consumed by bus fares … responsible authorities must look into this bus fare issue,” Gari said.