Cannery may generate K1.2 billion

GOVERNMENT and corporate partner RD Corporation will start talks on a fish cannery which is expected to generate about K1.2 billion in annual revenue, says Prime Minister James Marape.
Marape was at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Government and RD Corporation, the major shareholder of its subsidiary company RD Tuna canners in Madang.
“This is an initiative the Government is taking to go into domesticating the fisheries industry in PNG,” he said.
“RD Corporation, through RD Tuna, has been in the country for 27 years.
“From its humble beginnings in 1997, RD Tuna has created about 5,000 jobs for Papua New Guineans.”
Fisheries Minister Jelta Wong supported the Government’s drive to domesticate the fisheries industry through a public-private joint venture partnership that would see an estimated K25 million cannery set up in Madang.
According to International Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru, the proposed cannery would drive the Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone (PMIZ) Special Economic Zone project.
“That’s expected to see Madang benefit through labour opportunities for locals in the districts, the use of PNG vessels and crew for fishing in PNG waters,” Maru said.
“The partnership with RD Corporation will make this a possibility.”
Members of the state negotiation team will discuss the investment opportunities.
RD Corporation is willing to develop through its expertise in the fisheries industry.
RD Corporation chairman Roy Rivera said: “Our subsidiary in Madang would act as the processing factory in the initial stages of development, through our market exposure in the greater Asia market and our expertise in the fisheries sector, we believe PNG has some of the best tuna supplies in the world, and through this partnership the country could be able to supply 60 per cent of the world’s fish.”