PNG's Enga Province outlaws Betel Nut
Papua New Guinea's Enga Province has overwhelmingly outlawed sale and consumption of betel nut in the province.
This follows the passing of a law yesterday in the provincial assembly to do away with the nut which is also known widely as “BUAI” in the country.
The penalty for breaking the law includes K5000 fine for individuals that are found guilty of transporting and selling the illegal product while K10,000 will be imposed on owners of company trucks that assist offenders to commit the crime.
A total of 19 provincial assembly members who were present voted in favour of the motion.
Those include three National Parliamentarians, they are Kandep MP Hon Alfred Manase, Kompiam Ambum MP Sir John Thomas Pundari and Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas.
Porgera Lagaip MP Tomaita Kapili, who attended the assembly session was not available during voting on the agenda while Wapenamanda MP Hon Rimbink Pato and Wabag MP Hon Lino Tom were absent with apologies.
Wabag Rural Local Level Government President Roy Kipalan and WabagTown Mayor Kennedy Thomas Kiaka abstained from voting.
Governor Ipatas said an amount of K1 million was allocated by the Enga Provincial Government as a “stimulus package” to engage people in agriculture.
He said Buai was causing problem in the community including infection of “fatal disease and contaminating the environment. Removing it should be taken as a measure to safeguard human lives.
“Buai is also making people lazy. They find it hard do gardening as they spend the whole day at the Buai market….In fact, it is a sad scenery where they don’t actually grow the nut upper here but spend their money and time to cross mountains and seas to bring it to sell for the planter who actually gets rich,” he said.
Sir Peter said it must also be reminded that it is easy to pass on the killer disease of Covid-19 from the exchange of Daka, Kambang and Buai, therefore, it must go as part of the overall preventive strategy.
He said the EPG will continue to allocate additional funds to assist those who take agriculture seriously.
Sir Peter also pointed out that the people should be thankful that “Agro Industrial Centre at Talum” near Surunki already had created a market for cash crops including potato, carrot and round unions at good prices.
“It is a good news that a total of K3 million has been paid by Talum farm to local producers in the last three years since the market was opened up to the public.
“Buai will never put such money to the pockets of our people. It has not made a millionaire either. The potential of our people doing better is with agriculture. We have to take it (agriculture) seriously,” he said.
Hon Manase and Sir John Pundari were among leaders that supported the move to remove buai to promote agriculture in the province.
They said they will come up with similar stimulus package to turn people in their districts to farming.
Other initiatives that the leaders have taken as preventive measures against the spread of Covid 19 include;
• Kompiam MP John Pundari’s commitment of K100,000.00 towards assisting the Enga Provincial Covid 19 Tsak Force committee to fight against the killer disease and further announcement of K3 million from his district services improvement fund (DSIP) to help people in Kompiam Ambum on small scale business activities. This he said is to compliment the EPG’s initial K1million stimulus package.
• Kandep MP Hon Alfred Manase’s undertaking to prioritise agriculture to help people in his district to become self-sustaining during difficult times being inflicted on by Covid 19.
• Wali Taru and Yengis LLG Presidents, Hon Mande Kendan Hon Wiyap Pyawa’s commitment to prevent offenders from smuggling Buai from East Sepik to the province. Thus, they requested the EPG and Hon Sir John Thomas Pundari for setting up of an additional check point in their llg areas to prevent Covid 19 from entering the province (through Buai) via Maramun, Yengis and other routes.
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This follows the passing of a law yesterday in the provincial assembly to do away with the nut which is also known widely as “BUAI” in the country.
The penalty for breaking the law includes K5000 fine for individuals that are found guilty of transporting and selling the illegal product while K10,000 will be imposed on owners of company trucks that assist offenders to commit the crime.A total of 19 provincial assembly members who were present voted in favour of the motion.
Those include three National Parliamentarians, they are Kandep MP Hon Alfred Manase, Kompiam Ambum MP Sir John Thomas Pundari and Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas.
Porgera Lagaip MP Tomaita Kapili, who attended the assembly session was not available during voting on the agenda while Wapenamanda MP Hon Rimbink Pato and Wabag MP Hon Lino Tom were absent with apologies.
Wabag Rural Local Level Government President Roy Kipalan and WabagTown Mayor Kennedy Thomas Kiaka abstained from voting.
Governor Ipatas said an amount of K1 million was allocated by the Enga Provincial Government as a “stimulus package” to engage people in agriculture.
He said Buai was causing problem in the community including infection of “fatal disease and contaminating the environment. Removing it should be taken as a measure to safeguard human lives.
“Buai is also making people lazy. They find it hard do gardening as they spend the whole day at the Buai market….In fact, it is a sad scenery where they don’t actually grow the nut upper here but spend their money and time to cross mountains and seas to bring it to sell for the planter who actually gets rich,” he said.
Sir Peter said it must also be reminded that it is easy to pass on the killer disease of Covid-19 from the exchange of Daka, Kambang and Buai, therefore, it must go as part of the overall preventive strategy.
He said the EPG will continue to allocate additional funds to assist those who take agriculture seriously.
Sir Peter also pointed out that the people should be thankful that “Agro Industrial Centre at Talum” near Surunki already had created a market for cash crops including potato, carrot and round unions at good prices.
“It is a good news that a total of K3 million has been paid by Talum farm to local producers in the last three years since the market was opened up to the public.
“Buai will never put such money to the pockets of our people. It has not made a millionaire either. The potential of our people doing better is with agriculture. We have to take it (agriculture) seriously,” he said.
Hon Manase and Sir John Pundari were among leaders that supported the move to remove buai to promote agriculture in the province.
They said they will come up with similar stimulus package to turn people in their districts to farming.
Other initiatives that the leaders have taken as preventive measures against the spread of Covid 19 include;
• Kompiam MP John Pundari’s commitment of K100,000.00 towards assisting the Enga Provincial Covid 19 Tsak Force committee to fight against the killer disease and further announcement of K3 million from his district services improvement fund (DSIP) to help people in Kompiam Ambum on small scale business activities. This he said is to compliment the EPG’s initial K1million stimulus package.
• Kandep MP Hon Alfred Manase’s undertaking to prioritise agriculture to help people in his district to become self-sustaining during difficult times being inflicted on by Covid 19.
• Wali Taru and Yengis LLG Presidents, Hon Mande Kendan Hon Wiyap Pyawa’s commitment to prevent offenders from smuggling Buai from East Sepik to the province. Thus, they requested the EPG and Hon Sir John Thomas Pundari for setting up of an additional check point in their llg areas to prevent Covid 19 from entering the province (through Buai) via Maramun, Yengis and other routes.
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