Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Blanket ban on sale of betelnut in Papua New Guinea

Posted at 23:17 on 20 January, 2009 UTC

A blanket ban on the sale of betelnut in Papua New Guinea’s Capital Port Moresby is not being enforced.

Street sellers are still selling the nut in public places including some previously designated markets for betelnut selling.

The NCD Governor, Powes Parkop, had announced last year that the National Capital District Commission will be enforcing a total betelnut ban in the city from January.

The Post-Courier newspaper reports sellers and their customers said that they will still sell betelnut in the streets and the Governor couldn’t stop them.

However the ban doesn’t apply to houses and private premises .