Street vending going from bad to worse

STREET vending is getting from bad to worse especially at the Waigani traffic lights.
Just as former Madang governor Jim Kas was jailed for crossing the runway to stop an aircraft from taking off, these thick heads must be arrested and charged for selling at traffic lights.
It is totally, completely illegal by any standard the world over, except in Port Moresby where authorities are still in deep sleep.
It is a skewed informal business concept.
Informal business is allowed at designated locations but definitely not at traffic lights.
Vendors pop into every car window begging for a sale with no regard to privacy and intimidation of drivers and their families.
Lack of enforcement and compliance is this city’s biggest problem.
Just as NCDC and its building board allowed the construction of the Noble Centre in the first place then upon completion, rescinded its occupancy certificate leaving this touted “glorious and glistening” K231 million (A$95 million) mega 23-storey structure idle to date. Why? Because it was found that there are 75 defects in the building, including mechanical, electrical, and fire safety concerns.
Other similar reports of “defective buildings” in the city have surfaced such as the twin towers at Waigani that house the Department of Finance and the building directly opposite the town police station.
It all boils down and depicts a very bad picture of management and compliance issues in PNG.
We cannot even tell the difference between “looting”, “exploitation” and legal “harvesting” of our natural resources anymore.
Instead, we accept to remain reeling as drunks in the poison of poverty.

Cyril Gare
Via email