Islands Region has all the reason to celebrate

 Island provinces have a reason to smile; a reason to celebrate for bigger things are happening throughout the region.

From Bougainville to Manus, New Ireland, West New Britain and East New Britain, constructive developments are taking place.

Business activities are picking up and are being complemented with infrastructural developments in local level government areas, districts and at the provincial level.

These cannot happen if there is no effective political administration at the national and provincial levels. We have noted in the past that when these levels function effectively, all other sectors will progress at ease and with impact.

Leaders and bureaucrats in the region are, in general, good implementers of government directives and decisions. They work with passion, are focused on their tasks at hand and do deliver outcomes.

But there are also those, whom we generally termed as “rotten apples”, that continue to plague our systems of governance and administration. These are public servants who lack initiative to service the people and the offices they hold.

We continue to view them as employees of state who are self-serving and have nothing good to contribute to the overall development of our five Island provinces. You will find them frequenting entertainment outlets, pubs and other social joints in Kokopo, Rabaul, Kimbe, Lorengau, Kavieng and Buka and Arawa.

They are disciples of the “blind leading the blind” fraternity. And, society has no place them.

Looking back at history, business activities in the New Guinea Islands kicked off and progressed steadily more than 30 years ago.

Agriculture was identified as the backbone of commerce and had continued to hold ground until this very day. Cocoa and coconut were farmed on a commercial basis and contributed much to the economy of provinces such as Bougainville and East New Britain.

Palm oil eventually found its way into and took roots in West New Britain’s Kimbe and Bialla. It then spread to parts of New Ireland, especially along Namatanai and recently was brought to Inland Baining in Gazelle district, East New Britain.

In our districts, urban centres and towns, Papua New Guineans have progressed into bigger ventures that were once owned and managed by Asians and expatriates, especially those of the Chinese origin.

In the Islands region, these Asians and many expats have become a part of us. They have married into our societies, have been culturally-initiated, eat and sleep the way locals do and regard themselves as locals. They call their province of choice and business their home. Yes! And, we do gladly accept them and want them to live among us.

Yet, locals have realised the importance of venturing into small and medium enterprises and have joined the bandwagon. In towns around the New Guinea Islands, locals and foreigners can be seen competing for customers to sell their wares. 

One of the reasons New Guinea Islands have to smile and celebrate was the recent approval by the National Executive Council for Kokopo to become a “city”.

The Kokopo City Commission Bill giving effect to that had been approved for implementation.

We look forward to the day when we will officially break ground and move to that next level. 

Recently, Kokopo/Vunamami Urban LLG town manager Freddy Lemeki told The National that business activities were increasing in Kokopo.

Most commercial activities and development in East New Britain were taking place in Kokopo. This became so after the twin volcanic eruptions of Tavurvur and Vulcan in Rabaul in 1994. Takubar, a five-minute drive from Kokopo, is now the industrial zone.

In Kokopo alone, we have been told that there are 522 registered businesses operating in town. We have also been told that another 136 businesses had renewed their operating licences while 13 new businesses had opened last month.  

This is great news and we applaud those with the initiative and belief to set up shop in Kokopo.

With these figures, it is not hard to guess that in Kokopo alone, about 10 new ventures are opening their doors every month.

A closer look at today’s business sector in Kokopo will also reveal an outstanding feature: one company operating different business activities. This signals a growth in business activities and that of a growing and progressing economy.

Booming in East New Britain are retail businesses, hire car companies and financial institutions. Others include security firms and second-hand clothing shops, motor vehicle dealers, restaurants, kai bars, mobile phone shops, IT computer services, electrical shops, timber sales, broker companies, herbal shops, stationary shops, real estate, lodges, hotels, fuel and service stations and wholesale.

Our authorities must not forget our very entities that matter: small and medium enterprises.

Throughout the Islands region, trade stores and roadside stalls are everywhere in our hamlets and villages. The focus must now be shifted to assist them as well through proper registrations as required by law. Assistance must also be focused on progressing these SMEs.

The National Government is focused on encouraging SMEs throughout the country.

However, seriously, much of this is only taking place in the urban centres with easy access to transport and markets. So, what about the majority in rural PNG? What happens to them?

Our priorities must be right. Priority must go to our people, the people of Papua New Guinea.

We have let them down in the last 30 or so years, and are we going to continue letting them down now and into the future?

 – [email protected]