Creating jobs remains govt’s focus: Mori

The country is focused on creating jobs for its people through emphasis on agriculture and manufacturing, says Commerce and Industry Minister Wera Mori.
He said an industrial park was proposed for Nadzab in Morobe.
“We want to grow industries here (Lae) so that we can manufacture here, create employment and grow our economy,” Mori said during a visit to Lae on Sunday.
He accompanied other trade ministers from Apec who were in the country for a meeting.
Director Apec Business Advisory Council (Abac) PNG Secretariat Ken Waller said driving economic benefits to all people was important.
“Driving the economy should not only target well-set businesses, but all across the nation to include the SMEs and micro farmers in the informal sectors as well,” he said.
Waller said that was why Abac is trying to ensure PNG came out with policies that set the future of PNG Government from the business point of view.
Abac is encouraging more investments in services across PNG, both in small and medium enterprises and the mining and exploration sectors.
According to Waller, exposing of local products from companies here for export to overseas markets was something that the Government had to really look at.
He stressed the importance of quantity and quality, as well as efficiency in delivering these products and the costs involved.
Waller said Lae had the potential in agriculture, mining, tourism and fishing that can be boosted and developed further to supply international markets.
He said Lae was very well placed with it being the major sea port in the country and close to Asian markets.