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PNG products, hot in the Solomons
By KEVIN PAMBA
While thousands of Papua New Guineans
go nuts over Sharzy and other Solomon Islands musicians, our Patti
Potts Doi is big hit over in the "Happy Isles".
The popularity of Potts was witnessed by PNG media personnel
attending the biennial Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)
convention in Honiara last week.
Doi's current hit, Swit Luv is played six to seven times a day on
Honiara's local radio stations like 96.5 Paoa FM.
Swit Luv is doing the rounds around the traps in Honiara and is on
the lips of any Solomon Islander who likes PNG music.
PNG music is popular in Honiara as across town PNG albums tend to
be in just about every shop.
Along with Potts and his "Swit Luv", the humble PNG bilum is also
a much sought after commodity in Honiara.
According to the Honiara fashion circuit, any person carrying the
PNG bilum feels a little more special and admired.
An average PNG bilum sold by a mother at the Hotel Mendana craft
market was going for SI$350 whereas the stylish Solomons Islands
baskets I was looking for cost between SI$150 to SI$40.
Bilums are a unique tradition to both sides of the island of New
Guinea.
Music and bilums are among a range of "PNG Made" products that are
popular in Solomon Islands.
Across Honiara there is a range of PNG made goods sold in shops.
PNG made goods such as tinned meat, tinned fish, soft drinks,
biscuits, twisties and toiletries are in every shop that I visited
last week.
The popularity of PNG goods is such that the deputy governor of
the Solomon Islands Central Bank, Denton Rarawa said last Tuesday
that there is a trade imbalance in favour of PNG.
Speaking at the pre-PINA convention workshop on Business and
Economics Reporting workshop sponsored by the British Government,
Mr Rarawa reasoned that PNG goods are cheaper and closer to import
than from traditional sources of import from afar.
The deputy governor said the PNG economy is big and has much to
offer to the Solomon Islands needs.
Along with the popularity of the PNG music and goods is the
increasing presence of the big PNG-based companies such as Ela
Motors, Bishop Brothers, Credit Corporation and Bank South
Pacific.
Agricultural goods supplier, Farmset, is the latest PNG based
company to open up in Honiara and last week PNG staff was there
trying to get the branch up and running.
Other international companies operating in PNG also manage their
Solomon Islands operations from here with PNG based staff
regularly traveling to Honiara to oversee operations there.
According to the some Solomon Islanders, there is also an
increasing number of PNG nationals working in Solomons Islands and
the PNG Defence soldiers currently on humanitarian work at the
tsunami affected Western province are being well-received.
Two of the soldiers said that the local people have been very
appreciative of their presence.
A PNGDF doctor and engineer were in Honiara last week assessing if
further rehabilitation and relief work is there where PNG could
assist.
The two soldiers have visited the affected areas and are compiling
reports for the Solomons Islands and PNG Governments.
The former director of the National Disaster Centre, Colonel Eric
Ani, is attached to the Solomons government as a special adviser
to the relief effort for the tsunami affected province.
There is also a strong PNG presence at the Forum Fisheries Agency
which is based Honiara. The PNG nationals are offering their
advice and expertise on how the Pacific fisheries resources are
harvested and managed.
With Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare launching the twice weekly
Air Niugini flights to Honiara in March, the trade and
relationship between the two Melanesian neighbours can only
improve.
 
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