Sir Puka hails Mainland Holdings

AGRICULTURE and Livestock Minister Sir Puka Temu has praised the biggest local agriculture company, Mainland Holdings Ltd, for venturing into Gerehu – often dubbed as one of Port Moresby’s worst crime spots.
Other investors would have second thoughts about putting their money there, he said, adding that confidence shown by the Lae-based owners of poultry products Tablebirds would help cut down crime in Gerehu and nearby suburbs and settlements.
Mainland Holdings is building a multi-million kina state-of-the-art chicken processing plant on Gerehu back road (Nigibata Rd), at what was the old Elcom regional office.
Sir Puka said he was proud of the fact that a PNG-owned company had taken the lead to invest in an area which was noted for crime as well as harbouring notorious criminals.
Setting up business in Gerehu meant creating employment there, putting money in people’s pocket, employing 300 people meant one person supporting a household of at least four members, he said.
Sir Puka said it was up to the people of Gerehu and nearby settlements to take ownership of the project and make it work and remove the stigma of being branded the most unsafe place in Port Moresby to live in.
The K81 million Tablebirds processing plant – a three-year pro­ject – will be opposite the Lae Biscuits factory, owned by another Lae businessman Sir Fabian
Chow. Because of constant use by timber jinkers, Nigibata Rd is riddled with potholes.
Sir Puka said Gerehu was a forgotten part of the nation’s capital – when he asked his department for direction to the new Tablebirds site it took a while for officers to confirm the location.
Mainland Holdings CEO Richard Greenhalgh said he inspected the site in January and liked what he saw, adding that after months of negotiations with the owner PNG Power they had finally bought the property to grab a foothold in the lucrative Port Moresby market for their poultry products.
Unfortunately, NCD Governor Powes Parkop, a Gerehu resident who lives about 1km away was not at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, nor were other senior Gerehu leaders.