Minister invites investors to consider non-extractive sector

Commerce and Industry Minister Wera Mori, pictured, has encouraged investments from partners such as New Zealand in the country’s of non-extractive industries.
Addressing a trade delegation from New Zealand in Port Moresby yesterday, Mori said that there were opportunities in forestry, agriculture and fisheries in the country.
He said this was because 85 per cent of the eight million people in the country lived in the rural areas.
“We want them (investors) to come and create opportunities for our people who are living in the rural communities,” Mori said.
“As the Government, we have the responsibility to create half-a-million opportunities in the small-to-medium enterprises by the year 2030. “In the agriculture sector, we have rundown cash crop plantations – coffee, cocoa and coconut. We would like to invite companies who are willing to invest in agriculture to take over those plantations.
“From our part, we will strengthen that.”
Murray McCully, New Zealand PNG Business Council chairman, said extractive industries were not New Zealand’s strong points.
He said they had something to offer with the ambitions that PNG had in terms of agriculture and horticulture.