Province holds meet to help economy

 A FIVE-day Milne Bay provincial economic development forum beginning today is to discuss ways to strengthen the economy.

Its recommendations will be incorporated in the integrated provincial development plan 2011-2015. It will be used to empower the people of Milne Bay to take ownership of their resources, improve their income and standard of living.

Milne Bay Governor Titus Philemon stressed on the importance of empowering people to participate more meaningfully in the economy to improve their lives.

Suau LLG president Ricky Morris presented a report on small medium enterprises, cooperative societies, provincial economic facilitation committee, investments, provincial trade and commerce policy and mining.

Morris told the provincial assembly “the Government’s SME policy and master plan are for our rural and urban populations but political and administrative support is needed to empower our people through this programme”.

Morris said the Government expected the policy to stimulate economic growth and improve the current SMEs from 49,000 to 500,000 in 2030.

It is expected to provide jobs from the current 200,000 to two million people in the next 16 years.

Morris said the people of Milne Bay must be empowered to engage meaningfully in economic activities.

He urged Milne Bay leaders to work hard “to elevate our per capita income to more than K1500 per annum in the next decade.”