Locally-made products pushed

THE Manufacturers Council of PNG (MCPNG) has launched an intensified campaign to promote local brands with “PNGMade” logo through TV advertisements to encourage consumers to buy more locally-made products.
The campaign has received a big funding boost of more than K120,000 from the Department of Commerce and Industry and various PNGMC members including  SP Brewery, Coca-Cola Amatil, Colgate Palmolive, PNG Forestry Products, Pacific Foam, Colourpack, Moore Printing, and RD Tuna,
MCPNG chief executive officer Chey Scovell said airing the advertisements would be a very expensive exercise as he acknowledged the assistance of the department, especially Minister Gabriel Kapris and Department Secretary Anton Kulit and member-companies.
The MCPNG is heading the promotion of “PNGMade” brand, a move which coincides with its efforts to increase brand awareness of locally- manufactured goods.
Yesterday, the Paradise Foods Ltd installed and unveiled a large “PNGMade” billboard outside MCPNG’s Badili office in Port Moresby.
“This was yet another example of the commitment that local manufacturers continued to make towards making a better PNG,” Mr Scovell said as he encouraged readers to look out for any of the three advertisements (one in tok pisin) and to look for the “PNGMade” logo.
“It is a symbol of quality, and when you make the choice to buy a PNG-made products, you know that you are making the choice to make a better PNG.
“Its catch phrase of “baim png-made kamapim moa wok” whilst understood has probably not sunk into the minds of our people,” he said.
Mr Scovell said for many years, it has been an interesting sight to see many articles and speeches made about the desire for cheaper goods and complaints about cheap and low-quality goods entering PNG markets.
He said the “PNGMade” logo has ingrained itself in the minds of the people for over 10 years as a symbol of quality home-grown and home-made products. 
In a bid to increase consumer awareness on the importance of buying “PNGMade” products, MCPNG and its members released three locally- made TV commercials to promote the value of buying PNG-made products.
Mr Scovell said the TV commericals made use of the successful “PNGMade” brand – a symbol of quality and assurance to Papua New Guineans that the good they are buying is a quality-made product, made locally by Papua New Guineans.