|
EHP youths able to work in China
By ZACHERY PER
YOUNG men and women from the Eastern
Highlands province will be able to work in China and learn the Chinese
language.
This was made possible under a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed in
Goroka yesterday by Eastern Highlands and its Chinese sister province
Fujian.
Eastern Highlands Deputy Governor Joksy Nakime and Fujian
director-general of foreign affairs Song Kening signed the agreement,
which was witnessed by senior Eastern Highlands public servants and four
senior delegates of the Fujian province.
Mr Nakime said the agreement paved the way for young men and women –
particularly students, who graduated from the universities – to work in
China and learn the Chinese language.
He said this would break down the communication barrier that had existed
between the Eastern Highlands and Fujian since they established
bilateral relationships in 2000.
Mr Nakime said the other main component of the agreement provided for
joint funding of a dry-land rice processing facility.
Chinese agricultural and technical experts had been engaged in producing
Lufa mushrooms and dry-land rice in Lufa since 2000 under what was known
as the Juncao project.
The mushroom project earned the province K100,000 between 1999 and 2003
and has a lot of potential to become an alternative cash crop.
The dry-land rice project has spread into Goroka, Unggai-Bena, Lufa,
Henganofi, Kainantu and Okapa districts of Eastern Highlands province.
Mr Song said the MoA was only the first step towards establishing more
projects and stronger co-operation between the two provinces.
He said Fujian would assist Eastern Highlands to reactivate the mushroom
and dry-land rice with the possibility of downstream processing and
export.
Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela-Smith, who hosted the welcome
reception for the Chinese delegation, said he had allocated K3 million
when he came into office to fund projects under the sister-province
relationships.
He, however, claimed Government officers in the system stole the money,
therefore there was nothing to further the planned projects.
“We are now committed to reactivate the project initiatives and further
enhance the bilateral relationships,” Mr Kela-Smith said.
 
|
