Landowners in business deal

ABOUT 150  members of the Nabak-Kawa Land and Resource Owners Association in Lae have agreed to engage in small-to-medium enterprise (SME) programmes.
The association set up the programme and will be supporting the members to engage in income-generating activities.
The association launched the programme on Wednesday to partner the government in a public-private-landowner partnership (PPLOP).
The programme will see members of the landowner association engaging in small formal and informal businesses, coffee-growing, fresh food and vegetable farming, poultry, inland fishing and livestock development.
Secretary Jimmy Sawa said they were ready to work with the Government to implement its policies in partnership with the landowners.
“We’ve been sleeping a lot, but are now ready to partner with the Government through PPLOP,” Sawa said.
He urged members of association to engage in the programmes to see development in villages in order to realise the implementation of the Government’s policies to achieve the vision.
Apart from SMEs, the association supports 330 members engaged in smallholder coffee-growing, another 350 members for fresh food and vegetable farming, and 150 members for inland fish, poultry and livestock farming.
The association plans to partner the Government in supporting the construction of roads linking villages, protecting State properties and public amenities, and protecting biodiversity by engaging in carbon trading.