MORE THAN JUST A MARKET – THE NEW GORDONS MARKET
A very good morning to all of you.
Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Honourable Richard Maru, Minister for National Planning, Honourable John Kaupa, Minister for Housing and Urbanisation, and local member, Hon. Rimbink Pato, Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister,
City Manager Bernard Kipit
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
It is not only a historical and momentous event for our city to host the leaders of the 21 APEC economies but it is equally a momentous event to have you, the Prime Minister of New Zealand Honourable Jacinda Arden here at Gordon’s to open this market for our city and for our people.
This occasion for the opening of this wonderful infrastructure represents the continued growing collaboration between two very respectful neighbors supporting each other for a better future together. More importantly it represents shared values that both Governments want to promote and uphold that will under pin that future.
This market is not just a place to buy and sell mainly local produce. Significantly it is a space mainly for women. 80 percent of the vendors and clients are women.
In jointly funding and building this new and extended market, we not only making a big statement that we want to provide a decent place for our people especially women to sell and buy, be financially empowered and more importantly we are pledging to built a city that is safe for Women and Girls so that it can be safe for everyone.
It is therefore not just a market. It is a monument to this shared vision and values for our market and our city.
On behalf of the women of our city and all our people, I thank the New Zealand Government and it’s people for partnering us to built this wonderful facility and monument.
I thank you too Prime Minister Arden for making the time to formally open this facility.
Your presence is an affirmation of our shared visions and goals which we hold highly and will seek honour as it is not just important for the vendors and patrons who will use this market, but it is a goal that is critical to the future of Port Moresby.
When a city is safe for women and girls and when women of this country are economically empowered it will represent a major progression in the advancement of our people and our country.
These are strong values and goals that we must uphold to secure that greater future.
Achieving this goal will be a manifestation of our national visions and goals that are enshrined in our Constitution; the Vision 2050, and the global visions and goals that are stipulated by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
For the last 7 years in Partnership with UN Women, NCDC has worked towards making our markets in the City Safe for Women and Girls under the Safe Cities Program.
Gordon’s market and its precinct has not been an easy place but today we should be proud that we are changing that.
This brand new market will not just change the physical environment of the market but it will quadruple our efforts to achieve the goals of the Safe City Program.
As we all stand here today with renewed hopes to witness the beginning of a changed society, I would like to appeal to all you residents to work together to maintain this new market, to be responsible and respectful and to work together to manifest the shared visions of why we built this new market.
This market will open up a lot of opportunities for our residents. And whether you are a cleaner, a buyer, a seller, a market security, a wholesaler or an entrepreneur, let’s all work together to make this market a safe, clean and healthy marketplace for all to use with respect and honor.
This market is not for UN Women, The NZ Government or for NCDC. This amazing facility is for you the people of Amazing Port Moresby.
Let us work together to make this market a cleaner, safer and a better place than what it was before.
Let us continue with our volunteer cleanups, working with law enforcement and our police, our People Positive Project entertainment weekly and let us make this market come alive and be a vibrant market place for all.
Once again I thank you Prime Minister Ardern and I thank all of you the beneficiaries of this market.
May God Bless of City and our country Papua Nee Guinea.
Thank you,
………………………………………………….
Honourable Powes Parkop, LLB, LLM, MP
Governor for National Capital District
Source: NCD Facebook.com
