PNG think tank, The Institute of National Affairs, says law and order issues in Port Moresby are worse than they were in the 1980s and 90s.
Director Paul Barker says NCD Governor Powes Parkop may like to think that Port Moresby is safer but major business houses and residents do not think so.
He says razor barbed wiring around people’s premises is a reflection of the concern felt by the community for their own safety and security.
Barker says in order to make residents feel safe, one has to address the law and order situation in the city.
He says law and order issues mostly relate to the lack of employment opportunities, the growing disparity of income that exists within the community and the high cost of living in places like Port Moresby.
“It is very difficult for a household to survive on low incomes,” he said.
Barker says when it comes to law and order issues one has to stop denying it and start recognizing that it can be addressed through a collective effort by working with communities, local leaders and church leaders.
“It should be about making the city safer and more beautiful for the residents and not just for show for the visitors,” he says.