Chimbu businessman wants more done to beef-up revenue

By ZACHERY PER
MILLIONS of kina in internal revenue for Chimbu have been going into neighbouring Eastern Highlands, Karamui businessman Norman Mondo says.
He said people from Chuave, Chimbu, chose to do businesses in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, instead of Kundiawa due to the proximity of Goroka.
Mondo said third-level airlines serving remote Karamui district operated out of Goroka.
“It is more convenient to fly into Goroka instead of Kundiawa town and commodities of coffee, peanuts and cocoa, apart from other common garden produce from Karamui, continue to be flown into Goroka,” he said.
Mondo, who is now the biggest cocoa grower in Karamui, said this issue had been the greatest concern for cash crop farmers in Karamui.
“More efforts needed to be made to bring these commodities into Kundiawa to beef up the province’s internal revenue,” he said.
“Otherwise, we are building the internal revenue for Eastern Highlands as we are always selling our coffee, cocoa, peanuts, cardamom and spice products in Goroka.”
Mondo urged the Chimbu government to find avenues to fly produce in Karamui to Kundiawa for processing and export to beef up the province’s internal revenue.
Jeffery Kom, from Chuave, said due to good roads, proximity and good business environment, they chose to do business in Goroka.
He said most small-medium enterprise operators in Chuave did businesses in Goroka and not Kundiawa and built the internal tax revenue for Eastern Highlands.
Kom said Kundiawa town needed to be freed up for business investments to create conducive business environment.
He said so-called “SME aspirants” were duplicating guest houses, bottle shops, food outlets, smoke and betel nut tables and the small town was too crowded.