A group of wood carvers and vendors of arts and crafts in Lae are calling on the Morobe Provincial Government to provide a proper shelter to sell their items.
Craftsmen provide the first interface for visitors both local and international to Papua New Guinea’s diverse culture.
They normally sell their items along the shops in the city where they encounter difficulties dealing with city authorities.
One popular spot is in front of the SVS Department Store in Lae’s Top Town.
The crafts include the traditional bilum, hand baskets and handcrafted jewellery.
A carver, Rodney Willie, from the Angoram District, East Sepik Province is concerned that his wares will be damaged by Lae’s constant raining. Items Rodney sell, like a coffee table, can fetch up to K300.
Heather Yangis, also a vendor of dyed billums witnesses her woven creations losing colour because of the exposure to rain and sunlight.
The plea is for vendors to have a suitably sheltered market area in the city so they can sell their work.
