Rubber development project gets exporting licence

Business

A MULTI-million kina rubber development project in New Ireland has received a boost from the Government’s Rubber Industry Board with the awarding of a rubber exporting licence.
The Central New Hanover Agro-Integrated project is operated by Malaysian developer Joinland PNG Ltd.
It created 440 formal jobs for locals and generated nearly K250 million in revenue since 2011 when it started.
Most of these money was for royalties, export duties, export levies and forestry levies. K23.9 million was spent in New Ireland.
Department of Agriculture and Livestock secretary Dr Vele Pat Ila’ava and Rubber board chairwoman Josephine Kennie were in Kavieng on Monday to preside over the licence presentation to the Lavongai people of New
Hanover, where the project is located.
Ila’ava and Kennie also presided over the signing of an agreement for rubber development in the province.
Kennie said the national identification registration of rubber farmers in New Ireland was a benchmark initiative which the board wished to champion in the rubber-growing regions of Papua New Guinea.
The Rubber Export Licence 1-10893 was awarded to the New Hanover Industries Limited.
It comprises three landowner companies: Tabut Ltd, Umbukul Ltd, and Malmalak Ltd.