11 May 2009

Urban drift said to be increasing poverty in PNG

11:45 am on 11 May 2009

Papua New Guinea's Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu says the country has an issue with increasing poverty sparked by migration to the towns and cities.

Her comments come after the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare's statement that the country lacks wealth in rural areas but nobody is short of food and water.

Dame Carol Kidu says she agrees with the Prime Minister that there is no absolute poverty or absolute starvation in PNG but says urban drift creates tensions:

"It is a struggle to survive when people migrate into the city and they don't have gardens and the existing livelihoods to sustain them anymore. But also puts an increasing pressure on the customary land owners of an electorate like mine. And so the customary land owners they're having increased problems."

Dame Carol Kidu says she would like people, in particular women, to be educated in food nutrition to alleviate some of the health problems.