Officers to get training

National
Source:
The National, Friday July 8th, 2016

COMMUNITY development officer Here Aihi is the first government officer to attend the capacity development training in Nagoya Japan as part of the preparations for the Asia Pacific Economic Corporation (Apec) meeting in 2018.
Aihi, who is the assistant secretary for the disability section of the Department of Family, Community Development and Religion was selected to undergo the two-week training to be attached with the Committee For Apec Policy Issues (CAPI).
“I represent the department on the issues of social inclusion, the people with disabilities. The Apec 2018 is to come up with policies strengthening our bilateral relations with other neighbouring countries,” Aihi said.
“This training will enhance and build capacity for us, I’m not the only one, after me there will be others following up to go through the same training to help us do the policy write-ups.
“We are undergoing this training in order to do policy writing and I would like to thank the Japanese Ambassador to PNG, Morio Matsumoto and Chief Representative of Japanese International Corporation Agency Takashi Toyama.”
There will be 30 training programmes for government officials involved with policy to help them with sound and adequate knowledge and skills to successfully host the 2018 Apec meeting in PNG.
Chief representative of Japanese International Corporation Agency Takashi Toyama said this was one of the Japanese government’s commitments agreed in a Japan-PNG Summit meeting during the G7 Ise-Shima Summit held in Japan on May 28 this year.
Toyama added that Japanese government provided K13 million for procuring buses to enhance the logistical capacity of the PNG government, US$100,000 (K311,059) worth of musical instruments, technical training for PNG  Defence Force band and also equipment for promoting EQUITV in rural areas.
He said the Port Moresby sewerage system upgrading was also a key assistance in working toward the Apec meeting that both governments were committed to.
The physical construction work has started in April and will be completed right before the Apec meeting in 2018.
“I strongly believe that Japanese government assistance will further strengthen the good and friendly relationship between PNG and Japan,” Toyama said.