BUSA JEREMIAH WENOGO
THE issues that have come about as a result of the imposition of the ban require a re-think of the current strategy to keep the city litter free and healthy.
A strategy that involves persistent awareness campaign backed up with effective and commonsense enforcement of the necessary laws in place can play a big role in commensurately altering the attitude of the people.
Many people will quickly jump to the conclusion that these efforts will be a waste of time given our so-called “attitude problem” where majority of our people have remained stubborn. Yet it is true that towns and city authorities for many years have not spent enough money and time to undertake awareness campaigns to bring the message across to the people.
Over the years enforcement of such laws has also failed due to lack of budgetary support. Thus there is a great need for the government to commit sufficient resources to make sure that awareness does go hand in hand with enforcement.
Also equally important is the need for consultation with the governed to garner support and build ownership. Something that the current ban law did not do before it was enforced.
So often as is the case in the past laws and policies have been developed in isolation with very little or no input from those that will be affected by its operations. In addition, enforcement has been done on an ad-hoc basis with officers enforcing the law lacking knowledge of their roles and responsibilities spelled out in the law.
Subsequently, enforcement has resulted in confrontation, human rights abuse and lately deaths. For instance, recently the NCD Commission has resorted to engaging youths to play the role of buai enforcers without taking these youths through basic training concerning the law so that they also understand the rights of the vendors.
This approach has seen widespread reports of abuse where citizens have been randomly checked whenever the rangers suspected if they were chewing or carrying betel nut in their bags.
One of the important elements missing in the buai ban law, and generally in addressing issues relating to informal economy in NCD, is the commission’s inspectorate function. This is where trained inspectors knowledgeable of relevant existing laws carry out their duties within the ambit of the law.
The idea to introduce reserve police units within NCDC may have come about due to the complexity of the problem within NCD where the commission felt that it had to have some sort of arresting powers to curb lawlessness when implementing its buai ban law.
Port Moresby’s rapid population growth means that enforcement was always going to be a problem however, the failure of the commission to recruit qualified inspectors for the sole purpose of enforcing its rules and regulation over an extended period of time, may have led to the problem getting out of hand.
There is no guarantee that a heavy handed tactic will bring the situation under the control. In fact, to the contrary this approach has resulted in untold abuse and deaths.
It is a commendable initiative to engage unemployed youths to do certain things for the up keep of the city but it is equally important for the administering authority to train them especially when they are dealing with sensitive issues like the buai ban. This is why highly trained inspectors are necessary to address these issues properly.
Their roles can be greatly enhanced if NCDC can identify designated sights at strategic locations within the city and have these inspectors to be responsible over these areas. The recent announcement by the prime minister during the official opening of the refurbished Koki Market to build buai markets in Gerehu, Hohola and Koki provides an opportunity for NCDC to train and deploy inspectors to these markets.
The police can support the efforts of NCDC inspectors by creating “community patrol officers” who can work alongside NCDC and other agencies such as health authorities through a taskforce to collectively address the issues at hand. These community patrol officers would play an important role in community policing efforts of the Police.
Rather than using the barrel of the gun at will to address law and order problems they will be working with the community leaders to undertake appropriate preventive measures which involves detecting, identifying and arresting the problem before it gets out of hand.
The claim that the trade of betel nut selling is a lazy way of earning a living is unfair. One can only make such a judgment through experience rather than observation. Observation alone does not paint the full picture of the whole process.
Firstly, those buai traders are reacting to a market demand for the nut. It is the ironclad rule in economics that demand is the pre-requisite to supply. In other words, supply will react to the movements in demand.
Secondly, the betel nut industry although much of it is informal has quite an advance supply chain connecting the producers, distributors and retailers to the consumers. Beyond that it has links to the financial sector where producers and vendors alike save their money in their accounts and borrow to advance their business.
In fact the introduction of the buai ban law may have resulted in a lot of bad debts given producers and vendors alike struggled to make money to pay back the loans. This could also explain the desperateness of the people to defy the ban policy.
Given the successful set up of the supply chain the betel nut trade has been able to create spin-offs within the transport industry (taxi drivers and PMVs) and accommodation (buai producers renting houses in Port Moresby).
This makes the trading of buai the only home grown economic activity that seems to have a successful supply chain compared to all other cash crops. Thus, more money is kept within the country than offshore.
Being less technically complex, the betel nut trade has been able to provide most of the poor, unskilled and unemployed populous with the opportunity to make a living in a challenging environment like those of Port Moresby and Lae.
Each player along the supply chain has a motive. Some do it to pay for their children’s school fees or put food on the table for their families while others do this to chase their dreams of becoming a successful businessmen or women. No doubt there is a lot of story behind what we hear and observe at the surface.
Thirdly, we have to recognise the fact that successive governments over the years have not been able to create adequate alternative income earning opportunities or formal sector jobs to absorb most of our unemployed and underemployed populous.
As a result many of these people are now thriving on the back of the betel nut trade. Therefore, it will take time for these traders to switch profession to partake in other jobs or activities within the cottage industry. The process will not be easy as buai traders have already become accustomed to making large profit as a result of the burgeoning demand.
Not only that but development in a sense has come all too quickly for our people who are plagued with a very poor literacy level and still making their way out of their traditional societies. Therefore, what is happening with the betel nut ban reflects the broader development issues that our government and people face.
Unlike in the past, most buai vendors or traders at present are educated individuals who one would expect to be behaving and doing things differently compared to a "kanaka". However, their active involvement in the buai trading sector indicates the underlying problem of unemployment, under-employment and poverty.
As the rich are getting richer at the expense of the bulk of the people, the neglected poor or unemployed will get into any business venture or trade that can help them make a decent living. Not only that but people who are engaged within the formal sector are also using betel nut trade to supplement their income (wages/salaries) which is losing its "real purchasing power" every year because of the exponential and never-ending inflation increase.
Unfortunately, lives have been lost and will be lost as a result of the buai trade but that can be addressed once the government develops a proper policy on buai rather than taking measures that will only be exacerbating the problem.
The buai ban has certainly led to some improvement in the city’s image compared to those days prior to its introduction. However it has come at the cost of millions of kina of taxpayers’ money, gross abuse of human rights and loss of life.
Thus the ban has been weighed and found wanting. The writing on the wall is overwhelmingly against it. Nevertheless, it shows that the Governor is trying his best to address problems that have been stagnant for many years.
In moving forward, NCDC can take the lessons learnt thus far to improve the development of a long term strategy that yields a net benefits that will be for the betterment of all.
For the rest of us, experience derived from the ban shows that we have to take responsibility for our own lives and learn to respect each other so we turn Port Moresby into one of the best livable city in the region and the world.
BUSA JEREMIAH WENOGO
THE issues that have come about as a result of the imposition of the ban require a re-think of the current strategy to keep the city litter free and healthy.
A strategy that involves persistent awareness campaign backed up with effective and commonsense enforcement of the necessary laws in place can play a big role in commensurately altering the attitude of the people.
Many people will quickly jump to the conclusion that these efforts will be a waste of time given our so-called “attitude problem” where majority of our people have remained stubborn. Yet it is true that towns and city authorities for many years have not spent enough money and time to undertake awareness campaigns to bring the message across to the people.
Over the years enforcement of such laws has also failed due to lack of budgetary support. Thus there is a great need for the government to commit sufficient resources to make sure that awareness does go hand in hand with enforcement.
THE issues that have come about as a result of the imposition of the ban require a re-think of the current strategy to keep the city litter free and healthy.
A strategy that involves persistent awareness campaign backed up with effective and commonsense enforcement of the necessary laws in place can play a big role in commensurately altering the attitude of the people.
Many people will quickly jump to the conclusion that these efforts will be a waste of time given our so-called “attitude problem” where majority of our people have remained stubborn. Yet it is true that towns and city authorities for many years have not spent enough money and time to undertake awareness campaigns to bring the message across to the people.
Over the years enforcement of such laws has also failed due to lack of budgetary support. Thus there is a great need for the government to commit sufficient resources to make sure that awareness does go hand in hand with enforcement.
Also equally important is the need for consultation with the governed to garner support and build ownership. Something that the current ban law did not do before it was enforced.
So often as is the case in the past laws and policies have been developed in isolation with very little or no input from those that will be affected by its operations. In addition, enforcement has been done on an ad-hoc basis with officers enforcing the law lacking knowledge of their roles and responsibilities spelled out in the law.
Subsequently, enforcement has resulted in confrontation, human rights abuse and lately deaths. For instance, recently the NCD Commission has resorted to engaging youths to play the role of buai enforcers without taking these youths through basic training concerning the law so that they also understand the rights of the vendors.
This approach has seen widespread reports of abuse where citizens have been randomly checked whenever the rangers suspected if they were chewing or carrying betel nut in their bags.
One of the important elements missing in the buai ban law, and generally in addressing issues relating to informal economy in NCD, is the commission’s inspectorate function. This is where trained inspectors knowledgeable of relevant existing laws carry out their duties within the ambit of the law.
The idea to introduce reserve police units within NCDC may have come about due to the complexity of the problem within NCD where the commission felt that it had to have some sort of arresting powers to curb lawlessness when implementing its buai ban law.
Port Moresby’s rapid population growth means that enforcement was always going to be a problem however, the failure of the commission to recruit qualified inspectors for the sole purpose of enforcing its rules and regulation over an extended period of time, may have led to the problem getting out of hand.
There is no guarantee that a heavy handed tactic will bring the situation under the control. In fact, to the contrary this approach has resulted in untold abuse and deaths.
It is a commendable initiative to engage unemployed youths to do certain things for the up keep of the city but it is equally important for the administering authority to train them especially when they are dealing with sensitive issues like the buai ban. This is why highly trained inspectors are necessary to address these issues properly.
Their roles can be greatly enhanced if NCDC can identify designated sights at strategic locations within the city and have these inspectors to be responsible over these areas. The recent announcement by the prime minister during the official opening of the refurbished Koki Market to build buai markets in Gerehu, Hohola and Koki provides an opportunity for NCDC to train and deploy inspectors to these markets.
The police can support the efforts of NCDC inspectors by creating “community patrol officers” who can work alongside NCDC and other agencies such as health authorities through a taskforce to collectively address the issues at hand. These community patrol officers would play an important role in community policing efforts of the Police.
Rather than using the barrel of the gun at will to address law and order problems they will be working with the community leaders to undertake appropriate preventive measures which involves detecting, identifying and arresting the problem before it gets out of hand.
The claim that the trade of betel nut selling is a lazy way of earning a living is unfair. One can only make such a judgment through experience rather than observation. Observation alone does not paint the full picture of the whole process.
Firstly, those buai traders are reacting to a market demand for the nut. It is the ironclad rule in economics that demand is the pre-requisite to supply. In other words, supply will react to the movements in demand.
Secondly, the betel nut industry although much of it is informal has quite an advance supply chain connecting the producers, distributors and retailers to the consumers. Beyond that it has links to the financial sector where producers and vendors alike save their money in their accounts and borrow to advance their business.
In fact the introduction of the buai ban law may have resulted in a lot of bad debts given producers and vendors alike struggled to make money to pay back the loans. This could also explain the desperateness of the people to defy the ban policy.
Given the successful set up of the supply chain the betel nut trade has been able to create spin-offs within the transport industry (taxi drivers and PMVs) and accommodation (buai producers renting houses in Port Moresby).
This makes the trading of buai the only home grown economic activity that seems to have a successful supply chain compared to all other cash crops. Thus, more money is kept within the country than offshore.
Being less technically complex, the betel nut trade has been able to provide most of the poor, unskilled and unemployed populous with the opportunity to make a living in a challenging environment like those of Port Moresby and Lae.
Each player along the supply chain has a motive. Some do it to pay for their children’s school fees or put food on the table for their families while others do this to chase their dreams of becoming a successful businessmen or women. No doubt there is a lot of story behind what we hear and observe at the surface.
Thirdly, we have to recognise the fact that successive governments over the years have not been able to create adequate alternative income earning opportunities or formal sector jobs to absorb most of our unemployed and underemployed populous.
As a result many of these people are now thriving on the back of the betel nut trade. Therefore, it will take time for these traders to switch profession to partake in other jobs or activities within the cottage industry. The process will not be easy as buai traders have already become accustomed to making large profit as a result of the burgeoning demand.
Not only that but development in a sense has come all too quickly for our people who are plagued with a very poor literacy level and still making their way out of their traditional societies. Therefore, what is happening with the betel nut ban reflects the broader development issues that our government and people face.
Unlike in the past, most buai vendors or traders at present are educated individuals who one would expect to be behaving and doing things differently compared to a "kanaka". However, their active involvement in the buai trading sector indicates the underlying problem of unemployment, under-employment and poverty.
As the rich are getting richer at the expense of the bulk of the people, the neglected poor or unemployed will get into any business venture or trade that can help them make a decent living. Not only that but people who are engaged within the formal sector are also using betel nut trade to supplement their income (wages/salaries) which is losing its "real purchasing power" every year because of the exponential and never-ending inflation increase.
Unfortunately, lives have been lost and will be lost as a result of the buai trade but that can be addressed once the government develops a proper policy on buai rather than taking measures that will only be exacerbating the problem.
The buai ban has certainly led to some improvement in the city’s image compared to those days prior to its introduction. However it has come at the cost of millions of kina of taxpayers’ money, gross abuse of human rights and loss of life.
Thus the ban has been weighed and found wanting. The writing on the wall is overwhelmingly against it. Nevertheless, it shows that the Governor is trying his best to address problems that have been stagnant for many years.
In moving forward, NCDC can take the lessons learnt thus far to improve the development of a long term strategy that yields a net benefits that will be for the betterment of all.
For the rest of us, experience derived from the ban shows that we have to take responsibility for our own lives and learn to respect each other so we turn Port Moresby into one of the best livable city in the region and the world.
So often as is the case in the past laws and policies have been developed in isolation with very little or no input from those that will be affected by its operations. In addition, enforcement has been done on an ad-hoc basis with officers enforcing the law lacking knowledge of their roles and responsibilities spelled out in the law.
Subsequently, enforcement has resulted in confrontation, human rights abuse and lately deaths. For instance, recently the NCD Commission has resorted to engaging youths to play the role of buai enforcers without taking these youths through basic training concerning the law so that they also understand the rights of the vendors.
This approach has seen widespread reports of abuse where citizens have been randomly checked whenever the rangers suspected if they were chewing or carrying betel nut in their bags.
One of the important elements missing in the buai ban law, and generally in addressing issues relating to informal economy in NCD, is the commission’s inspectorate function. This is where trained inspectors knowledgeable of relevant existing laws carry out their duties within the ambit of the law.
The idea to introduce reserve police units within NCDC may have come about due to the complexity of the problem within NCD where the commission felt that it had to have some sort of arresting powers to curb lawlessness when implementing its buai ban law.
Port Moresby’s rapid population growth means that enforcement was always going to be a problem however, the failure of the commission to recruit qualified inspectors for the sole purpose of enforcing its rules and regulation over an extended period of time, may have led to the problem getting out of hand.
There is no guarantee that a heavy handed tactic will bring the situation under the control. In fact, to the contrary this approach has resulted in untold abuse and deaths.
It is a commendable initiative to engage unemployed youths to do certain things for the up keep of the city but it is equally important for the administering authority to train them especially when they are dealing with sensitive issues like the buai ban. This is why highly trained inspectors are necessary to address these issues properly.
Their roles can be greatly enhanced if NCDC can identify designated sights at strategic locations within the city and have these inspectors to be responsible over these areas. The recent announcement by the prime minister during the official opening of the refurbished Koki Market to build buai markets in Gerehu, Hohola and Koki provides an opportunity for NCDC to train and deploy inspectors to these markets.
The police can support the efforts of NCDC inspectors by creating “community patrol officers” who can work alongside NCDC and other agencies such as health authorities through a taskforce to collectively address the issues at hand. These community patrol officers would play an important role in community policing efforts of the Police.
Rather than using the barrel of the gun at will to address law and order problems they will be working with the community leaders to undertake appropriate preventive measures which involves detecting, identifying and arresting the problem before it gets out of hand.
The claim that the trade of betel nut selling is a lazy way of earning a living is unfair. One can only make such a judgment through experience rather than observation. Observation alone does not paint the full picture of the whole process.
Firstly, those buai traders are reacting to a market demand for the nut. It is the ironclad rule in economics that demand is the pre-requisite to supply. In other words, supply will react to the movements in demand.
Secondly, the betel nut industry although much of it is informal has quite an advance supply chain connecting the producers, distributors and retailers to the consumers. Beyond that it has links to the financial sector where producers and vendors alike save their money in their accounts and borrow to advance their business.
In fact the introduction of the buai ban law may have resulted in a lot of bad debts given producers and vendors alike struggled to make money to pay back the loans. This could also explain the desperateness of the people to defy the ban policy.
Given the successful set up of the supply chain the betel nut trade has been able to create spin-offs within the transport industry (taxi drivers and PMVs) and accommodation (buai producers renting houses in Port Moresby).
This makes the trading of buai the only home grown economic activity that seems to have a successful supply chain compared to all other cash crops. Thus, more money is kept within the country than offshore.
Being less technically complex, the betel nut trade has been able to provide most of the poor, unskilled and unemployed populous with the opportunity to make a living in a challenging environment like those of Port Moresby and Lae.
Each player along the supply chain has a motive. Some do it to pay for their children’s school fees or put food on the table for their families while others do this to chase their dreams of becoming a successful businessmen or women. No doubt there is a lot of story behind what we hear and observe at the surface.
Thirdly, we have to recognise the fact that successive governments over the years have not been able to create adequate alternative income earning opportunities or formal sector jobs to absorb most of our unemployed and underemployed populous.
As a result many of these people are now thriving on the back of the betel nut trade. Therefore, it will take time for these traders to switch profession to partake in other jobs or activities within the cottage industry. The process will not be easy as buai traders have already become accustomed to making large profit as a result of the burgeoning demand.
Not only that but development in a sense has come all too quickly for our people who are plagued with a very poor literacy level and still making their way out of their traditional societies. Therefore, what is happening with the betel nut ban reflects the broader development issues that our government and people face.
Unlike in the past, most buai vendors or traders at present are educated individuals who one would expect to be behaving and doing things differently compared to a "kanaka". However, their active involvement in the buai trading sector indicates the underlying problem of unemployment, under-employment and poverty.
As the rich are getting richer at the expense of the bulk of the people, the neglected poor or unemployed will get into any business venture or trade that can help them make a decent living. Not only that but people who are engaged within the formal sector are also using betel nut trade to supplement their income (wages/salaries) which is losing its "real purchasing power" every year because of the exponential and never-ending inflation increase.
Unfortunately, lives have been lost and will be lost as a result of the buai trade but that can be addressed once the government develops a proper policy on buai rather than taking measures that will only be exacerbating the problem.
The buai ban has certainly led to some improvement in the city’s image compared to those days prior to its introduction. However it has come at the cost of millions of kina of taxpayers’ money, gross abuse of human rights and loss of life.
Thus the ban has been weighed and found wanting. The writing on the wall is overwhelmingly against it. Nevertheless, it shows that the Governor is trying his best to address problems that have been stagnant for many years.
In moving forward, NCDC can take the lessons learnt thus far to improve the development of a long term strategy that yields a net benefits that will be for the betterment of all.
For the rest of us, experience derived from the ban shows that we have to take responsibility for our own lives and learn to respect each other so we turn Port Moresby into one of the best livable city in the region and the world.
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