Bank names top man and woman in business

WESTERN Highlands woman Dorothy Prul is the National Development Bank’s businesswoman of the year.
Her Kimbe colleague, Albert Kamilus, is businessman of the year.
The bank’s Kimbe manager Lui Masti completed the trio by being named branch manager of the year.
The awards were presented during an NDB dinner in Port Moresby on Monday night.
Prul, from Nebilyer in Western Highlands, runs a busy plant hire operation which serves the oil palm-rich West New Britain province.
“I’ve been involved in this business since 2008,” she said after collecting the award.
“I was involved in buses and real estate before that.
“I’ve been to other commercial banks before but I did not receive the kind of help I got from NDB.
“This is my third year in dealing with the NDB.”
Kamilus, 48, originally from Nuku in West Sepik but now permanently settled in West New Britain, runs an oil palm estate on 231 ha of land with 24,000 seedlings.
“The business is going very well,” he said.
“I started off with 100ha of land at my own costs and I asked the bank for assistance with the rest.
“I applied for a K5 million loan in August 2010 which I have already started paying back.
“I used this money to develop reserved land which would otherwise not have been developed
“I bought the land from my wife’s relatives.
“I’m now thinking of setting up my own oil palm mill.
“I’m happy that the bank has recognised me as one of its clients.
“I currently employ 40 casuals, two office staff, two supervisors and four bos bois.”
Top NDB managers, employees and divisions also collected their awards on the night.
Top branch was Kimbe, top branch manager was Lui Masti of Kimbe, top regional manager was Tomalis Hoa, top performing department was women in business, top head office manager was Vicky Vene, top division was accounting and finance, and top employee was Desmond Yaninen.