Cooperative societies success depends on team work: Official

THE success of cooperative societies depend on team work and agreements among its members, says small medium enterprise corporation (Smec) managing director Petrus Ralda.
Ralda said this during the presentation of K10,000 to Girabu Farmers’ Cooperative Society in Rigo, Central, on Friday.
He said many cooperatives became unsuccessful because of a lot of infighting among the members.
He challenged the cooperative to use the money wisely and to maximise it.
Smec presented the society with its new passbook for its account and a cooperative society certificate.
Ralda said Smec would continue to assist the cooperative with technical and business development advice and skills.
“We have two programmes, one is start your business and we monitor your business and if you need training than will do an IYB (improve your business) training,” Ralda said.
“We have travelled and delivered these trainings throughout the country.
“We have worked with cooperative societies, we have worked with women group and youths.” Smec, in partnership with the PNG Forest Authority and other partners, delivered the ITTO (International Tropical Timber Organisation) project aimed to plant trees in grassland areas in Central as a pilot project to be replicated in the country.
It has provided capacity building skills to the community.
The cooperative would be a vehicle for the villagers to progress in business.
Ralda said Smec would run capacity building programmesso businesses would be able to have access to the Government’s small to medium enterprise funding provided by commercial banks.