PNG's National Capital District to ban sales of roadside cooked food

The Papua New Guinea National Capital District Commission will all ban roadside selling of cooked food and selling of home bottled drinks in public places for health reasons.

The City Manager, Ravu Frank, made this known in a public notice which effectively gives notice of the ban after 30-days of awareness.

Mr. Frank says they are placing a ban on these activities in high consideration of the health of the city residents.

He says some people may consider these activities for their convenience but the bottom line is they are doing more harm than good for their fellow residents.

 The handling and processing of the goods involved in these activities have raised public concern about the unhygienic manner in which the items are prepared for human consumption and N-C-D-C as a regulating body has taken on board the relevant concerns to ban these activities in public places.

N-C-D-C sees it to be violating the Public Health (Sanitation & General) Regulation, the Food Sanitation Regulation, the Informal Sector Development and Control Act and other relevant legislation which the N-C-D-C is obliged to apply as the municipal authority and the designated local health authority.

Mr. Frank says to avoid serious health issues, they have considered banning these activities in public places as a viable solution to protect the health of the city residents and in the best interest of public health.

The move to ban these activities is within the powers of N-C-D-C as the designated health authority and in accordance with its enforcement powers of the legislation concerning public health and food and sanitation regulation.

A video that went viral on social media capturing a couple washing disposed plastic containers in contaminated water purportedly to fetch water for sale has provoked the unhygienic nature of these activities and has further prompted the need for the ban.

Mr. Frank is seeking public cooperation and support in these circumstances and urges city residents to understand the importance of their health over other considerations.

At the lapse of the 30-day awareness period, N-C-D-C enforcement officers or agents will not hesitate to physically remove offending persons within public places including bus stops and traffic intersections including the confiscation of their goods.

NBC News/One PNG News

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