Bottled water project launched

SIX mine villages in the Star Mountains of Western have extended their Tabubil-based business portfolio by venturing into a bottled water project.
The project is the second sustainable investment initiative of the Mount Fubilan Agro Business, a sustainable development company owned by the mine villages.
The ground breaking for the project held in Tabubil on Feb 21 was witnessed by around 3000 villagers from Atemkit, Finalbin, Bultem, Kavorabip, Migalsimbip and Wangbin.
Maino Lucas, the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) associate director representing North Fly and mine villages, said the funding for the project would be derived from the village development funds from the six village planning committees and the women and children’s project funding.
The proportion of shares and funding is 60 per cent from the mine villages’ development funds and 40 per cent from the Star Mountain Women’s Association.
The project will be producing an estimated 2400 water bottles per day. It will initially supply Ok Tedi Mining Limited and OTDF requirements.
Later, it will supply Nuigini Pride, Fubilan Catering Services and the Star Mart Supermarket in Tabubil.
“The project’s main drive is to create employment and empower local communities into self-reliance rather than depending on OTML compensation all the time,” Lucas said.
The Innovative Agro Industries will operate the water bottling project as an extension of their engagement to manage the recently opened poultry farm.
OTDF chief executive Ian Middleton was pleased to bring the mine villages together again to invest in another worthy project.
“Water is life and the whole of PNG knows how much pure, clean water falls from the skies over the Star Mountains,” he said.
“Let’s drink our own homemade products.”