Concerns for businesswomen

 STRINGENT requirements are a stumbling block for women to start a business in the mining industry, a woman with some experience says.

Helen Lusem, the United Church women’s representative in the Nimamar LLG, said she had observed and experienced the difficulties in the Lihir Mine area where she had tried initiatives since 2009.

She said invoices were required for everything she wanted to use to get the business started but suppliers were not keen on providing them without a guarantee.

She said a healthy village concept and women’s development proposals approved for funding in 2009 under the initiative were yet to receive funding because women behind the business proposals had not been able to  meet the strict requirements of providing invoices for what they needed from suppliers.

Lusem said she had been facing difficulties trying to comply with the requirements so that her fellow women members could also benefit from the initiatives.

She said that K100,000 was allocated annually for women on the island to benefit under the initiative.

She called on those responsible to find better ways of encouraging such business development proposals by women in mining areas.