Long-term plan to establish fish processing plant in progress

A LONG-term plan to establish a cannery in Bougainville is in place and will involve consultation with National Fisheries Authority (NFA) in its development, a senior Bouganville minister says.
Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Minister for Economic Development Fidelis Semoso made the announcement when explaining how the K15 million funding by NFA would be used to boost the fisheries sector.
“I assure you that the ABG will use these funds specifically to develop the fisheries sector,” he said.
“A significant portion of this fund will be used to establish the Bougainville Fisheries Management Authority.
“A management team will be established to oversee the implementation of programmes and activities in the fisheries sector, which ABG approves in consultation with the national Government.
“Our common goal is that the fisheries sector be developed in a sustainable manner that will contribute to the economy, and our realisation and ABG’s aspiration of a fiscally self-reliant economy.
“Long-term plans such as opening a tuna cannery in 2020 will be drawn from this fund as outlined in the economic recovery plan for Bougainville.
“Downstream processing will attract investment from which Bougainville can benefit from.
“We need sustainable economic growth and fiscal self-reliance driven by the internal revenue raising initiatives and the fisheries sector sets the phase for this.”
NFA managing director John Kasu told The National that ABG would progressively be given more powers after the signing of the agreement, including that of negotiating with private investors in the sector. “This is the start,” he said.