Officers on fact-finding tour

 INVESTMENT Promotion Authority (IPA) officers are in East New Britain on a fact-finding tour to assess potential of investment opportunities, particularly in agriculture and downstream processing.

IPA’s investment aftercare officer, Steward Rom said they were studying the potential of downstream processing in the cocoa sector.

They visited field sites that hosted economic activities like spice facilities at Vunakanau and tourism areas. 

“Many people have good products and projects but due to lack of clear awareness by IPA on its roles, development is hindered,” Rom said.

He said IPA promoted and facilitated investment and was constantly visiting provinces to identify areas of economic activities to provide information to investors in and out of the country.

Rom highlighted that they helped local companies market their products overseas. 

“Most products produced from downstream processing are highly recommended by overseas markets because of the use of organic materials,” he said.

Provincial advisor commerce Henry Tavul welcomed the team’s visit, saying the province looked forward to getting a positive feedback from IPA.