O’Neill says SMEs need more support

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
THE small-to-medium enterprise (SME) is an important economic sector that needs further support, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said.
During the presentation of the draft SME policy and master plan to members of parliament yesterday, O’Neill told Minister for Trade commerce and Industry Richard Maru that he was fully supporting the initiative.
He said the plan reflected what was lacking in the PNG economy at this stage.
“We are now looking forward to the final plan that will be put together,” O’Neill said as he congratulated Maru and the working committee for the SME consultations they carried out throughout the country.
“SME provides income opportunities for most countries … it provides employment opportunities for many countries,” O’Neill said while stressing on the need to rehabilitate SME sector in the country.
“I think it is our government’s responsibility to develop this into a vibrant sector of the economy so that it could look after the people we are targeting.
“And those people that we are targeting are the ones who have no opportunities in the mainstream economy.
“And I think the policy that is going to be rolled out very soon is something that we members of parliament have to participate in.”