Capital of Sandaun Province, Vanimo, is still without a proper market for vendors to trade.
Both the informal sector and the locals share the same market space. Despite charging fees, the Vanimo town council has failed to put up a proper market.
Locals are calling on authorities to address the issue.
Mathew Towa is a Highlander from Chimbu province who has been living in Vanimo for the last 6 years. Mathew and his other relatives have come to Sandaun in search of economic opportunities.
For the last 6 years, they have been engaged in the informal sector and have given little or no thought to going home.
Like Mathew, Betty Fama and her husband Robert, both Western Highlanders, are also settlers.
They too bring items from the other side of the border, Jayapura, and are happy with what they are doing. They also sell highlands tobacco, which they say is fetching them a monthly income of K1, 000.
The locals on the other hand, like Monica Kebian, want the town authority to address their cries and that is to have a proper market.
Monica said her cry represents the cries of thousands of mothers who come into town every day to sit in makeshift shelters, out in the open, selling garden produce.
A petition is still awaiting the Sandaun provincial government’s response on the construction of a proper market.
While awaiting a positive response, the town authority collects K5 from random sellers and an annual fee of K100 from those doing informal marketing.
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