Summit enlivens DWU campus

 THE Divine Word University (DWU) came alive on Monday with the launching of the small and medium enterprise (SME) summit.

Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru led a sizeable delegation of ministers, Members of Parliament and other senior government officials to the three-day summit  officially opened by the Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, Charles Abel at the university memorial auditorium.

Madang Governor Jim Kas welcomed the group and applauded Maru for the initiative and his choice of Madang as the venue for the special event.

The presence of more than 500 participants from across the country showed that small and medium-sized business owners and other entrepreneurs were keen to discuss various issues affecting SMEs.

Maru stressed that the whole idea of the SME summit was to boost the renewable resource sector to create an active economy for equal participation.

He said the SME sector would be the engine room to create employment, create wealth for citizens and conducive environment for the private sector.

 Maru told the participants the recommendations from the summit would drive sweeping economic reforms towards cutting down the cost of doing business.

He said that SMEs must reinvest in a future economy underpinned by a competitive renewable sector based on tourism, agriculture, fisheries, services and a strong and competitive manufacturing sector.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is expected today to close the summit.