NBPOL plans to improve smallholder payments

THE New Britain Palm Oil Limited has come up with an initiative to improve the turnaround time for payments to smallholders.
Country manager Robert Nilkare said the use of information and communication technology would improve information collected by the company from smallholders with respect to timing – when the fruits are picked and how soon smallholders can have access to money they earn from the fruits they sell.
“We are also investing heavily in ICT in palm oil,” he said.
He took part yesterday in a discussion following the launching of report by the Oxford Business Group titled The Report: PNG 2016.
“As soon as we pick up the fruit just outside the farmer’s plot, it’s recorded straight away and is sent via a SMS message to the mill,” he said.
“So basically we are trying to get the turnaround time as quickly as possible.
“If we pick up today, tomorrow they get paid instead of waiting a week. In that way, it is meaningful to them. Our guys can go out and pick the oil palm and they know that tomorrow they can go to BSP or a supermarket and swipe their card and they can purchase their goods.
“So that is one of the things we are working closely with our shareholder Sime Darby.”
Meanwhile, Investment Promotion Authority acting managing director Clarence Hoot said ICT was a sector needing development.
“We’re sensing a chance towards the introduction of ICT in terms of use of mobile and marketing.”