Breakfast raises K60,000 to help make women better in business

THE Papua New Guinea Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry raised K60,000 during a breakfast fundraiser in Port Moresby yesterday to train and mentor women entrepreneurs.
President Avia Koisen said the chamber wanted to upskill members on business beyond Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) 2018.
She said the chamber started in 2013 and got K150,000 funding from Treasury Secretary Dairi Vele to start off with.
“That K150,000 has taken us to until three weeks ago,” Koisen said. “We really have been given a challenge to rise up by our former minister Richard Maru (then Minister for Trade and Investment).
“He said we have to be recognised and be a body that has to be reckoned with.
“He said there are so many women organisations and the general thing for all of them is that they are fighting each other.
“As if that was not enough, we were also not funded.
“We are a voluntary non-governmental organisation, we had no money, we have been running this chamber for a number of years.
“We have been affiliated over the last three years to an international women’s chamber of commerce representing the commonwealth- over 52 countries.”
Acting deputy secretary corporate and regulatory services of Youth, Religion and Community Development Jerry Ubase said the government was continuing to ensure that women were economically empowered.
“In September, we will showcase the women entrepreneurs that were selected amongst the four regions in Papua New Guinea in Apec,” he said.
“We will definitely support Papua New Guinea Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.”