Govt to remove obstacles

PRIME Minister James Marape says his Government is committed to removing all impediments hindering the progress of Papua New Guinea’s coffee industry, particularly with the increase production.
“Government will remove all impediments, including politics in the industry, for the industry to stand alone and grow to the next level,” Marape said in Goroka last week.
“If you know of any impediments that are there, whether you are a grower, a buyer, exporter or a regulator like CIC, (Coffee Industry Corporation’s), let us know.
“Me and my colleague ministers will try our absolute best to remove impediments that stop coffee industry, as well as other agriculture industries, from moving forward.”
Marape assured coffee industry players that the Government would also: stabilise prices to ensure the best deal for growers in the 89 districts; build enabling infrastructure to benefit coffee growers, agriculture and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs); create credit facilities with banks for agricultural SMEs, including coffee; introduce freight subsidies for ease to markets; assist traditional landowners to have easy access to register land for coffee businesses; and, establish a national export agency to find markets for coffee and other agriculture commodities.
Marape stressed that coffee and the whole agriculture sector had to be seen as business, and urged everyone involved to work hard.
“My Government does not encourage laziness, we want to encourage hard work,” he said.
“The job of Government and the districts is to supply seedlings and capital to get people back to the land.”
Marape said Papua New Guineans were among the first agriculturalists in the world, as exemplified by Kuk valley in Western Highlands and this should continue.
“You don’t need a degree to go into coffee or go into agriculture,” he said.
Marape said his government had transferred K165.5 million to all 89 districts to progress development of agriculture and SMEs.
Each district will receive K1 million for agriculture and K500,000 for SMEs.
“This is not money for the MPs. We have transferred K1 million, especially for agriculture and K500,000 for SMEs,” Marape said.