No enabling indicators for free trade zone: Namah

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
VANIMO-Green MP Belden Namah says the Government must provide enabling indicators that will support the concept of a free trade zone in Vanimo.
He made the statement in Vanimo last week in response to recent comments by the International Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru who said Vanimo was not ready for the free trade zone concept yet. “Our former governor, the late John Tekwie was very vocal on the free trade zone concept in Vanimo,” Namah said.
“I am happy to note that the current Government is promoting this idea. Just recently, our minister for International Trade and Investment (Richard Maru) made a statement that Vanimo is not yet ready to be the host of the free trade zone concept.
“Vanimo or any other parts of the country are not ready to be hosts of the special economic zone idea too.
“This is a government policy. The minister has to ensure that the enablers to ensure the free trade zone concept is realised, have to be established in the respective areas.
“I would like to assure the people that as long as I remain with the Government, I will ensure that the Government’s plan to establish a free trade zone in Vanimo will be realised.”
Maru recently said past governments had not prepared Vanimo for the initiative.
“Despite all the talk about a Vanimo free trade zone for the past 20 years, the fact is that the provincial government and the Government have not prepared Vanimo to be a free trade zone,” he said.