Mori pushing for free trade development project

Minister for Commerce and Industry Wera Mori, pictured, is pushing for Bana Free Trade Zone Development to be set up in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The Bana Free Trade Zone Development is beginning to gain momentum.
This will see the National Ministry for Commerce and Industry submit a report based on the project to the National Executive Council for approval.
Mori led a delegation comprising senior officials from cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation, National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology, Investment Promotion Authority and Industrial Centre Development Corporation to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville on Wednesday.
Bougainville Regional MP Joseph Lera and ABG Minister for Health and Bolave MP Dennis Lokonai, together with the members of Bana Free Trade Zone Committee welcomed the delegation upon their arrival.
Mori said it was a fact finding mission to create opportunities and make sure that Bougainville recovered from its economic hardship.
“In my earlier trip, I gave an undertaking that I will come back with my heads of departments and here we are,” he said.
“I’ve brought them so that they can see what’s on the ground, what’s got to be done and where do we need to start.”
Mori said the Bana Free Trade Zone Development was an important initiative.
He said it would become a special economic vehicle to incubate a lot of business activities.
Mori said during their two-day fact finding mission in Bougainville, they would be updating and collecting information for an NEC submission.
“Currently we’ve got the information paper already submitted to NEC,” he said.
“It is important that we follow up on it with some more concrete measures.”
Joseph Lera thanked Mori and his delegation for their seriousness in coming to assist in getting the Bana Free Trade Zone approved.