Envoy calls for better use of resources

 By ELIZABETH VUVU

SELF-sufficiency and sustainable development is possible for Papua New Guinea if it makes proper use of its abundant natural resources, Japanese Ambassador Hiroharu Hashi Iwasaki says.

He said this to students at the Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA) institution in East New Britain on Monday during a visit to the province.

The occasion at OISCA at Warangoi outside of Kokopo was also attended by East New Britain Governor Ereman ToBaining Jnr, deputy provincial administrator Levi Mano and OISCA board chairman Sinai Brown.

Iwasaki said PNG should consider itself lucky as it had abundant resources and clean fresh water and food security was not an issue.

He said PNG had abundant food and resources and should seriously consider exporting to Japan and other countries that were in need of these resources.

“We in Japan are waiting for your exports and your country deserve many money and I hope your government concentrates more on agriculture, forestry and fishery because mining is not sustainable,” he said.

The ambassador said Japan was a small county with a huge population of 120 million people who strived to work the land and PNG should follow suit in order to be self-sufficient.

“Nowadays PNG is still importing rice and this is not good. You should be growing rice in the country and exporting it to other countries,” Iwasaki said.

ToBaining said ENB had enjoyed bilateral cooperation with Japan since the 1940s.

He said the tourism sector in the province was boosted with Japanese tourists.