By JASON SOM KAUT
THE Chinese government yesterday handed over a K10 million-fish processing and cold storage facility at Lae’s Malahang industrial centre to the people of Papua New Guinea.
The facility was expected to boost downstream processing and create jobs for local fishing groups.
Chinese Ambassador to PNG Wei Ruixing yesterday officially handed over the facility to Minister for National Planning and District Development Paul Tiensten.
The handover was witnessed by national and provincial leaders, Chinese embassy officials, Chinese community leaders and other dignitaries.
“It is my firm belief that when operational, the project will generate tangible benefits for locals and contribute to improving the fisheries downstream processing industry in the country,” Mr Wei said.
He called for the proper management of the facility to ensure sustainability.
Mr Wei revealed that fisheries featured importantly in the next course of Chinese government development interventions in the Pacific under the Sino-Pacific Plan.
“I am optimistic that the commissioning for this facility represented a culmination of a partnership between China and PNG that would see the beginning of more Chinese on-shore investments in the fisheries sector,” he said.
The facility was set to further boost the already significant progress made in the country’s fishing and processing sector.
China represented one of the biggest markets in the world but yet remained largely inaccessible to the PNG fishery products.
The focus of the facility was to support the small-medium fisheries entrepreneurship – both local and through joint ventures with private partnerships.
Mr Tiensten, who thanked the Chinese government for the generous support, said: “The project is timely and will add value to downstream processing and open markets here and overseas.”
He said the facility would see greater coherence and linkages to empower the people to participate meaningfully in the development process.
Mr Tiensten said if the project was successful it would be used as a model and replicated in other centres.
He said the facility would impart valuable skills to locals and see them participate meaningfully in the flourishing fishing industry.
Mr Tiensten also stressed the need for good fisheries management to ensure sustainability and support from the private sector.
In his remarks, Governor Luther Wenge urged the Chinese ambassador to encourage Chinese fishing companies to invest the country.
The facility was built through a K7 million funding from the Chinese government, K3 million from the PNG Government and K500,000 from the Morobe provincial government in the form of land for the project site.