New balsa mill gets approval

A CHINESE firm will construct a balsa wood mill in the Toma-Vunadidir area of Gazelle in East New Britain, after an agreement was signed, local level government (LLG) manager Nicholas Baroro says.
The LLG signed a memorandum of agreement with the district’s administration and L and G Balsa Ltd in Kokopo recently.
The company also signed a lease agreement with the landowners of the Ratavul ward where the factory would be built.
Baroro said: “To ensure this foreign company operates, it must be legally bound and compliant with the Government and so we asked the company to follow the requirements, including documents such as the license, disposal management, safety rules, community obligation and other risk management.”
Gazelle administrator Hubert Wangun said the project would add value to the surrounding communities as the concept was about driving development at the ward level.
L and G Balsa Company Ltd managing director Nick Guo said they would honour the agreement and work with the people and Government to deliver the project.
Guo said the development of a balsa wood industry would create job opportunities and bring services to people in the area.
He noted that East New Britain produced high quality balsa and urged more people to consider growing the tree.
Guo said farmers did not have to worry about working late or how they would transport their balsa to the mill as the company would go to the villages to buy and transport their balsa wood.