Support local companies

IT appears that the Madang government has given K1.5 million of public funds to a 100 per cent foreign-owned company to subsidise copra buying in Madang.
No equivalent funding was given to the other two established copra traders who are long term 100 per cent nationally owned and operated companies.
These being Biabi Enterprise (60 years in PNG) and Kulili Estates (103 years in PNG) based on Karkar Island.
Without equal funding, these two nationally-owned companies that employ hundreds of people and offer a large range of essential rural services cannot compete and would be forced to shut down.
This will create a monopoly made up of one sole trader who has only been operating in PNG for less than a year and employs very few nationals.
This monopolising of the copra buying on Karkar Island will lead to loss of over a thousand jobs and lower copra prices long term for the farmers, as there will be no competition.
Subsidies are there to assist an industry not destroy it.

Concerned Farmer,
Koropak Village,
Karkar Island,