Marape asked to address beche-de-mer concerns

THE Beche-de-mer Exporters Association of PNG has urge Prime Minister James Marape to intervene and address some of its concerns regarding the sector.
The country’s beche-de-mer sector is an industry worth over K500 million.
More than 500,000 people depend on this important marine resource to sustain their livelihoods.
Association president Harry Landu, while congratulating Marape as the eighth Prime Minister yesterday, said: “The beche-de-mer sector should be fully managed and developed well including diversion into farming and value added downstream processing.
“I am inspired by his (Marape) intent to provide support to SMEs and indigenous companies to ensure the growth of our economy.
“We have spoken and raised many of the restraining concerns regarding ownership and real time participation by indigenous people in these natural resources sector but it has always fallen on deaf ears and on hearts hardened by foreign interests to the obvious detriment of ourselves.
“What we need now is a revamp of the public machinery.
“This will be the prime minister’s major hurdle.
“The public service will need to be totally revolutionised in mind and practice.”
Landu urged Marape to provide a consultative opportunity for every sector to have quality time with him.
“Beche-de-mer brought in over K100 million in 2017 and again in 2018.”
Landu said the National Fisheries Authority had consistently failed to address some of the concerns raised by his association.
He urged Marape to review the authority and its intervention programmes.