ICT sector needs policy to guide local firms grow: President

By MELYNE BAROI
THERE is a need for a policy to guide locally-owned firms in the ICT (information and communications technology) sector so they can prosper, a businesswoman says.
President of the National ICT Cluster and digital entrepreneur, Winifred Kula Amini, said the ICT sector had the potential to contribute positively to the economy.
“We need a policy to help digital entrepreneurs. Our (ICT) products and services can be exported to other economies and we have members in the cluster looking to export into the Pacific region,” Amini said.
She said the ICT cluster was an initiative of a non-profit organisation that helped local entrepreneurs to develop and grow.
“We (ICT cluster) have over 40 registered members that are mostly small to medium companies that we work with to strategise how best we can reach our targeted customers and shareholders.
“One thing we realised is that there is no government policy that can enable us to receive financial support which can help us to interact with our customers and shareholders,” she added.
Amini said the existing SME policy had not enabled ICT SMEs to access financial assistance from the government.
“The SME policy does not provide inclusion for ICT and therefore through the cluster we are now working on having the government set up a policy for us to reach our targeted customers and shareholders through the digital space,” she said.
Meanwhile, system administrator for the SME Corporation Paul Yugura said they were working with PNG DataCo Limited to allow SMEs to access cost effective internet access in marketing products and services online.