Producing locally creates jobs: Rice

DOWNSTREAM processing should be encouraged as it means additional job creation, Paradise Foods Ltd chief executive officer (CEO) James Rice says.
Rice said the company had localised imported manufacturing inputs in its ice cream cones, peanut butter, ice cream flavouring and some labels as well.
“We do not do this to save money, we do this because it is the right thing to do,” he said.
“We have a moral obligation to help create jobs in this country and not send our money overseas.
“Every CEO needs to look at what they purchase and try to localise everything they can.”
Rice told The National, that there were plans to go into water bottle preforms, water bottle caps, ground corn and biscuit packaging, these were all big high value items.
“Downstream processing will give the company a shorter supply line and allow us to settle in Kina, but the price will not be better and there will still be foreign currency risk, as our suppliers have to buy raw materials from overseas,” he said.
“Localising creates jobs and a job provides food on the table for a family and it also means people have money to spend to buy our products.
“With every company creating jobs in PNG, there will be a virtual circle that helps all consumers and all producers.
“Unfortunately, we will not be able to localise milk powder or wheat (flour) or butter which are our largest inputs.
“These cannot be produced in volume in PNG. But I believe everything else we buy could be produced in PNG.”