Youth development raised as key to fighting crime

CREATING more economic opportunities for youths can curb a rise in crime that affects tourism and businesses as a whole, says a prominent Madang-based operator.
Melanesia Tourist Services managing director Sir Peter Barter, pictured, said criminal activities would continue to rise until the next generation was included in meaningful activities.
He said this in regards to several incidents of crime on tourists last month, noting authorities needed to do more.
“The greatest resource we have in PNG is our youth,” Sir Peter said.
“As long as we educate, we must also provide useful employment or activities that will enable the youth to benefit. We are not attracting enough investors into PNG.
“We tend to think this all can be done by getting PNG into business.
“Whilst I appreciate this effort, the fact remains we have thousands of semi-educated people without trades that could easily be absorbed into a strong manufacturing economy that could downstream process our timber, our fish, and our agriculture”.
“We could employ youths to fill potholes, build roads and infrastructure without the need of expensive machinery.
“Every time I see logs being exported, I cry and wonder how many youths could be employed to downstream process building furniture, houses.
“Not least, the number of youths that could be absorbed into the hospitality industry if we could realise the enormous potential we have with tourism.”
Sir Peter said Malaysia was an example to be followed in terms of attracting genuine investors that would build the capacity of generations to come.
“The employees learned skills, they became trained and today most of the businesses in Malaysia are run by the people,” he said.
“A similar situation has occurred in many other developing countries.
“In PNG we have half the Government wanting to attract investors and the other half chasing them away.”