Bigger plans for West Sepik

West Sepik plans to expand business opportunities in the province through road infrastructure development to give people access to markets. The other sector Governor Tony Wouwou is focusing on is tourism. The province plans to have its own tourism development authority. He told business reporter DALE LUMA that commerce has been slowly picking up after the Coronavirus pandemic in 2019.

Road infrastructure and business
WOUWOU: We have a big landmass but a small population scattered all over. We don’t have roads to connect all the districts in the province. Our revenue generation is slow because of connectivity issues. Business growth depends on infrastructure like roads which will stimulate business growth.
In the past five years, the province was highly dependent on revenue generated from the log export development levy, business houses, and mostly from the insurance that we collect from the Motor Vehicles Insurance Ltd.
In the next five years, if we have good roads connecting the districts, we will have more people coming into town and travelling out, which would generate cash flow.
We will put more money into road infrastructure. At the same time, we will also focus on infrastructure in schools, plus law and order.
The road connecting Western and West Sepik is vital. People in that particular side of the province will use that road to sell their vegetables and other products in Kiunga and other parts of Western.
The road should be completed by next year. It is funded by Ok Tedi and will be an important link.

Revenue
WOUWOU: Our revenue has actually increased from K5 million to K9 million in the last five years. We have targeted K15 million for this year and have already collected K13 million.
Business in West Sepik is gradually increasing. We lost a lot of business during the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 but we are picking up slowly. If you are looking at business for the province, each district has its own product which can be used to generate their income.
On the eastern side, we are heavily dependent on cash crops such as vanilla and cocoa. However, the cocoa pod borer affected cocoa revenue in the past few years.
Those in the Western block are mostly dependent on logging, the timber levy and royalty.
Places such as Telefomin are heavily dependent on vegetables, taro, kaukau which they send to Tabubil or Porgera.

Small-to-Medium Enterprise (SME)
WOUWOU: The SMEs are picking up slowly because the Government’s SME policy is not benefiting the bulk of the population in the province. It’s working for the established businesses.
We do receive K1 million from the Government, depending on the budget. We distribute this to our SME women. But if you want to go into big businesses, you have to get your company registered and have some money in the account and all those requirements.

Tourism
WOUWOU: We are planning to engage more in tourism next year.
That is one of the sectors that we have not explored or invested more in. We will also be establishing a tourism board by next year.

Trade Centre
WOUWOU: Most of the people in the province make money through trading at the border. We have good trade links with Indonesia. We have to open the border so we can sell our products such as vanilla. That is where we will make money.
West Sepik people go to Vanimo to sell vanilla, cocoa and minerals.
In the next Parliament sitting, I will request that we open up the border which is closed.
We will develop a Wutung trade centre on our side. Indonesia has its own on its side. We have K2 million allocated for it. This is for the next five years.
If you want to do business, come to our trade centre so we will bring our Kina back into the country. We have millions of Kina sitting in Indonesia.