Lockdown affects womens’ small business operations

WOMEN operating small businesses at a venue in Port Moresby will resume their operations when the state of emergency is lifted, an official says.
Pacifika Women Network (PWN) administration officer Rachael Micah said the 87 women would await word from the Government.
“They are affected because this is their life,” she told The National yesterday.
“The women depend greatly on their businesses because this is what put food on the table every night.
“They pay for their children’s school fees and their rent.
“These women won’t be able to generate any income to look after their families because they don’t have any other jobs.
“We are still paying rent to the landlord even though there is no business operation.
The Network Trade Centre began in 2018.
“We lease from Steamships and the 87 SME shops sublease from PWN,” Micah said.
“Because of the SOE, we are already affected as we collect rentals from the SME booths and pay the rent to Steamships.
“We are renting almost one-third of the building,
“Apart from the rental, we have power bills and water bills to pay.
“That is why you can already picture how our operations is going to be affected.
“We don’t get funding from the Government or elsewhere.”
The women sell food, health and beauty products, arts and craft and clothes.