Wrong move to shut co-op societies office

THE Office of the Co-operative Socie­ties of PNG (OCSPNG) needs the urgent intervention of the prime minister and the cabinet.
If the office failed to deliver on time or to expectations, request a report and if you are not satisfied with funds allocated to certain projects, get the Sweep team to investigate, have the office inspected and audited or change the management; but NOT the concept and the office.
The decision by Minister for Commerce and Industry Richard Maru to shut the OCSPNG and remove three-quarters of its staff is a slap in the face of the rural people and a contradiction of the government’s vision and drive for socio-economic deve­lopment.
The new minister walked in with one thing on his mind – to end cooperative functions in PNG.
Whatever his reason may be, Maru fails to understand that the office is the government’s link with the bulk of the rural population and it is an indication by the previous minister and leaders that the government belongs to them (the people) and will deliver to them.
Previous governments realised the concept of cooperative societies is the way to go for socio-economic change by empowering small people in the rural areas with the least local approach with the establishment of regional offices. The scenario in PNG is that the bulk of the rural people lacks capital, the know-how and the confidence to start up and operate their businesses.
In order to address this issue and to deliver limited goods and servi­ces effectively, the government reintroduced the cooperative societies concept.
The project has overwhelming support of the rural people and there are 5,000 registered cooperative so­cieties operating as small and medium entrepreneurs, some with successful stories and new interested members.
The advantages of cooperative society are as follow:
l    Organises aspiring rural people to access capitals to start up their businesses;
l    Gives first time individuals the confidence to develop into small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs;
l    Organises rural people and makes it convenient for the government to deliver limited goods and services, such as rice mills, fermentaries, etc; and
l    Organises landowners ILGs to be incorporated to business groups.
There is no other way to do this.
Other projects and credit facilities operate to serve individuals and those without capital to enter into business.
The cooperative societies concept is the heart of the people.
Therefore, I am shocked the former mana­ging director of the National Development Bank made it his first business to remove this essential link between his ministry and the rural people.

PNG Development At Heart
Port Moresby