Lanco opens trade centre

 THE Landowner company Laba Holdings Ltd (LHL) has opened a business centre and mini-mart to cut costs and to serve local consumers, executive chairman Raho Kevau said.

The company said last Thursday these positive initiatives aimed to create shareholder value and benefits to the villages it covered.

Kevau described the new ventures as another step ahead for Laba’s long-term sustainability. 

“We have talked about diversifying and expanding our business and today’s occasion proves Laba’s capability to operate as a capable business entity in a competitive business environment,” he said.

The business centre, the mini-mart and the BSP Rural branch are located next to each other.

“These milestone achievements are a one-stop shop for our community to strengthen our job creation potential, productivity and generating revenue,” Kevau said.

The mini-mart was taken over from RH Trading following a favourable consideration and in consultation with CJJV, ExxonMobil PNG and Laba directors.

Plans to sell packed ice cubes for local fishermen and small stall operators from the adjacent section were underway.

Kevau said: “We hope to promote community development and the business centre will bring  community services closer to students, jobseekers and small business operators.”

These facilities would spare the locals the trouble of travelling to Port Moresby.

The initiative was tailored for village schools and LNG villages, making it the first of its kind in this part of the community.

“We hope that these new businesses will generate revenue and create more jobs for our people and create shareholder value and benefits,” Kevau said.

 “Port Moresby has become a very busy city packed with people and vehicles and the mini-mart and the business centre will save a lot of time and money for the local people.”

The new business centre would provide services such as internet cafe, photocopying, typing, laminating, scanning, printing, certificates, binding, ID card lamination and curriculum vitae updating.

LHL  represents the four landowner companies of the villages in the project impact area of the LNG processing plant. 

The four landowner companies that each have 25% shareholdings in LHL are: Porebada Holdings Ltd, Boera Holdings Ltd, Buria-Rearea Caution Bay Ltd and Papa Resources Development Ltd.