Hawkins outlines importance of SMEs

Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are essential for successful Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings in the country, says Chris Hawkins, chief executive of the Apec coordinating authority.
Hawkins said on Friday that all Apec meetings would have SMEs displaying their productions from carvings to materials and food.
“We are engaging everybody, it’s not like we are giving business to one. We will be a very good team of people working with SMEs throughout the country,” he said. “We are engaging everyone. We’re giving business to all our hotels, local SMEs like making of bilums that we are going to present as gifts to the delegates.
“This is going to be a Pacific and PNG way. Every aspect of the PNG way is being blended into the programme, including gifts.”
Hawkins said as part of the engagement of SMEs, bilum (string bags) makers from around the country had been engaged to make 15,000 bilums.
“While we give the delegates a standard bag that they get at every meeting, our delegates will go with the PNG bilums that will carry documents,” he said.
Hawkins said most delegates would rather carry their documents in the bilum than in a plastic bag.
“There is handicraft, which are being made, shirts and several items made by SMEs that are being utilised,” he said.
“For the meeting venues, we have stalls for SMEs for showing how they make everything from carvings to materials to food production.”