Villagers need skill to operate business

 By GYNNIE KERO

LOCALS in the Rigo district, Central, need management skills to start their own income generating activities, United Church Bishop Rev Laka Renagi says.

He said this at Kwikila last Friday where 76 locals in the Rigo district participated in a two-week long training programme.

About 10% of the participants have existing businesses activities in agriculture and manufacturing sectors among others.

The start improve your business (SIYB) training programme offered by the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) acts as a guide to step by step planning and starting a business.

Rev Renagi said given the importance of SIYB in Rigo, the United Church has allocated about K32,800 for the training.

About K325,000 would be funded by the district and the church for the training of about 500 locals in all four components of the programme.

Acting managing director Henry Marasembi has revealed SBDC’s plan to partner with the United Church in rolling out the training programmes for the district.

He said SBDC will negotiate with the church and train local trainers, who in turn, can conduct similar workshops in future.

SBDC’s mandate is to provide capacity building training to small medium enterprises (SMEs) for the development and expansion of small businesses in PNG, Marasembi said.

“Our active promotion of SIYB further shows our commitment to promote opportunities for women and men to participate actively in SME development in PNG.

“The international labour organisation’s (ILO) agenda on decent work and ethics has promoted opportunities for PNG women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity in the world of work,” he said.