Edai town opens new commercial centre

Business

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
THE Edai Town Development Limited has opened a commercial centre to serve its residents and neighbouring villagers outside Port Moresby.
Chairman Madaha Maina said during the opening ceremony of the e-Village mini market on Friday the shop would serve the growing population moving into the new town and the four Papua New Guinea LNG project-impacted villages.
“The imminent construction activities soon to commence on the Papua LNG project near the existing PNG LNG plant will create additional demand,” Maina said.
It will also be a retail shop.
“It will sell bulk discounted prices for goods which is a convenient doorstep away at lower than city supermarket prices,” he said.
Maina said Meat Haus frozen products would be offered as bulk sale items for the convenience of the villagers.
“Time and transport costs saved by shopping at our well-stocked mini market makes this an attractive and much-needed service,” he said.
Maina said they also planned to run regular shuttle services between each village and Edai town.
“In order to encourage cashless transactions, promotion weekend activities will be organised with banks in attendance to open new bank accounts which will facilitate cashless Eftpos transactions as such activites create awareness and expand financial inclusion.”
Maino said they had already set up in-store banking facilities with Westpac and were looking forward to set up a Bank South Pacific agency. Director Kym Yong said they began the township by building homes.  The mini mart is to start the commercial phase.  They plan to build hotels, schools and a police station.