Rapa blames buai filth on Highlanders

By RAMCY WAMA

WESTERN HIGHLANDS Deputy Governor Wai Rapa has supported NCD Governor Powes Parkop’s call to ban betelnut in the capital city.
The ban on betelnut or buai in the city of Port Moresby that has come into effect today has been criticised by thousands of residents who rely on sale of buai daily to make ends meet.
Mr Rapa told the Post-Courier that settlers, especially of Highlands origin who claim to survive in the city with the sale of betelnut should return to their respective provinces to till the land rather than trade betelnut that paints a bad image of PNG's capital city to the international communities.
He said they were the ones abusing buai consumption in the city.
“Our mandated leaders (MPs) should support the call on ban on the betelnut ban,” Mr Rapa said. “Since Mr Parkop made the call to ban betelnut in Port Moresby, no parliamentarian has supported his call.
“I see that the ban on betelnut is the only way to have a cleaner and healthier city. Parkop's call is for the good of the city and our country.
“Surviving on the trade of betel nut is not a way forward for our people.
“As leaders we must find alternative ways and means to support our people who are struggling to survive or rely heavily on betel nut.”
Mr Rapa said Mt Hagen was the trading centre for betelnut and supplied the rest of the Highlands provinces, which saw most building, streets and public properties including the new K6 million AusAID-funded Mt Hagen market being degraded by betelnut stain.
He said the people of the Highlands must know that betelnut was not grown in the Highlands but in the coastal areas for the coastal people’s consumption.
“We as leaders must discourage our people from trading betelnut,” Mr Rapa said.
“We (highlanders) must focus more on the trade of commodity crops like coffee and tea.
“The people who complained and petitioned Parkop for the decision to ban betelnut should be ashamed of themselves as buai is not going to sustain them in their daily needs for the rest of their lives.
“I see that the decision is for the good of our future generation because betelnut is not a commodity that we could trade internationally but only for the short term.”
He urged the national Government to pump more money into the agriculture sector, especially cash crops like coffee so that Highlanders who gave excuses on the betelnut ban should return home to cultivate the land and their coffee trees.
“I want the government to put more money in coffee and other cash crops in order to discourage people from selling betelnut in Port Moresby,’’ he said.
“Today, you can see that school aged children are selling betelnut to make fast money but on the other hand they are spoiling their future.
“Betelnut has no future for our children and the younger generation to come so the government must support Mr Parkop's call in order to save PNG's future.”