Lae company delivers gravel free of charge to Lae Market as part of ongoing improvements [Pictures]

Well done concerned citizens of Lae! It is so good to see cooperation between the community, govt and private sector to fix the market, which is a vital institution to enable livelihoods, give women an independent income and control over it, preventing poverty, stimulating the local economy (cash goes back into PNG hands -farmers, entrepreneurs, and small business people). The problems you have started to address exist all over PNG. All markets / LLGs presumed to be collecting taxes, fees, fines, storage fees, parking fees etc need to be audited. You will be surprised what you uncover. Layer upon layer of collusion and cover-up, with money being pocketed by fee collectors, cleaners, security guards, market management and individuals various criminal and destitute sectors of society, who get in on the act to deceive, defraud, intimidate, extort, rob and impoverish hard working women and girls. The challenge now is to empower the vendors to have a say (build their collective voice) to be informed, active and vocal in the planning, management and financing of market operations, improvements and the development, with local government and the private sector. There is a need for a new vision for the market to fulfil its potential as the bastion of the local economy, wholly owned by the people of PNG. The potential for development and regulation of markets and the informal economy is huge and can change the face of our towns. They could be built on a local economy of diverse markets, including locally cooked food, more nutritious diets, sale of arts and crafts and more. A chance to make the economy inclusive and friendly and safe for women and girls and to give it a PNG face. A challenge to encroaching foreign ownership and economic dominance. BUY PNG MADE.
The same problems are being addressed in the markets of Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu through a UN Women project initiative. Attempts are being made to support the same transformation of markets in Port Moresby, but decades of neglect have allowed many aggressive and criminal ‘systems’ of money -making (mainly by men) at the expense of vendors ( mainly women) to become entrenched and they are hard to eradicate. Let’s hope Lae can follow through and transform market governance to give women vendors (the majority) a voice, and to make markets safe again, enabling women farmers, traders and entrepreneurs to reap fair returns for their honest hard work.

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