Youths surrender homebrew-making equipment

YOUTHS at Kaugere in Port Moresby want to see change and have surrendered to police several gas bottles and containers for processing homebrew.
“The police are working to build a close network with the community and get the young people to respect the rule of law and help create a safer environment to live in,” Badili police station assistant commander Senior Sergeant Paul Anggua said.
“We usually get calls from members of this community complaining about the issue of homebrew and we have tried our best to attend to most of them, and now they have decided to surrender everything and we are pleased with them,” he said.
Anggua encouraged young people at the Kogeva community to pursue other means of earning a living and using their leisure time on sports and recreational activities.
“Homebrew is illegal, produced and sold for money in the Kaugere-Badili vicinity as well as other parts of the city. It is cheaper and most people in the settlements consume it, which leads to violence and other criminal activities.”
A total of 18 gas bottles plus containers and other equipment were surrendered.
Youth leader and spokesman Vensy Alepa said it was the second time they had surrendered to police but a reversal could happen if the government did not create better opportunities for them.
“We surrendered our only way of earning an income in this tough city, and we ask for the government to create some opportunities for us, as most of us are unemployed,” he said.
Alepa, 32, said most of the young people had knowledge and skills in trades, or had potential to do better if they were given an opportunity to do so.
He said many had been searching for jobs but were unsuccessful and so they resorted to illegal activities but the government should have a strategy in place to cater for them.
Former councillor Steve Kariko said he was not fully satisfied because some had not surrendered. He said the first lot to surrender was in 2009, and this was the second, but some were still doing the illegal business.