Call for unity in youth business

 By ERIC BALARIA

THE National Youth Development Authority has urged all stakeholders in the government and private sectors to work together to address youth entrepreneurship in the country.

Director general Norit Luio said youth entrepreneurship and unemployment were critical issues faced in PNG and while NYDA and partners such as the National Development Bank were doing their part to address it.

He said there was still a need for a collective and viable approach by other entities, including agriculture and financial institutions, to come up with programmes that would assist in bringing youths into business opportunities. 

“It’s a national priority and commitment for the government and not only NYDA and ministry of youth and community development, we need a collaborative effort,” Luio said.

“We need to engage young people to participate in activities in the country and we need to empower them, and give them skills training.

“We cannot involve them in factories and formal jobs so we need to involve them in the agriculture sector.

“And that’s why we need the Department and Ministry of Agriculture.

“The fisheries sector must not work in isolation and there needs to be involvement by Tourism Promotion Authority as PNG is already a destination.

“We need all these three sectors to come on board as team and we as the government and private sector must work together to make this work.”

Luito said NYDA was ready to support any agency that had initiatives to bring youths out of unemployment.

He added that the Government should make funding and resources available to assist these programmes.