Govt to fund operating businesses

THE Marape-Steven Government will not fund “paper farmers” but support Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) already in business in the 2020 Budget, National Planning and Monitoring Minister Sam Basil says.
Basil reaffirmed his commitment made at the inaugural National Coconut Festival from Sept 26-28.
Last weekend, Basil made a tour of the Highlands Highway, from Mt Hagen to Lae, with National Planning and Monitoring deputy secretary Michael Kumun.
They also visited the JNPK Coffee factory in Lufa, Eastern Highlands.
“The focus of the current Government in the medium term is in the economic sector which includes the extractive industries, and the renewable industries – agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism and the promotion of SMEs,” Basil said.
“In agriculture, the biggest challenge for a long time is not growing the cash crops.
“It is the processing, transportation and access to markets – domestic and global. Be assured, we are going to do things differently.
“The Marape-Steven Government will raise the agriculture budget and we will fund those micro, small and medium enterprises who are already in the farming and downstream processing business.
“We are not going to entertain paper farmers who come out of the woodwork when funding is available,” he said, referring to the controversial National Agriculture Development Programme’s use of funds previously based on proposals – some of whom were from people residing in urban centres.
“I want to assure coffee farmers and factory owners, coconut SMEs, those involved in cocoa farming that the Marape-Steven Government’s commitment is to support such agriculture and SME self-starters and actual hands-on doers rather than paper farmers and SMEs,” Basil said.
He said the agricultural sector currently contributed around 26 per cent to the country’s national gross domestic product (GDP).
Coffee, cocoa, coconut, palm oil, rubber and tea are PNG’s major exports, contributing K7.2 billion in export revenue between 2013 and 2016.