By Delly Waigeno – EMTV News, Port Moresby
The much anticipated O’Neill-Dion government Small to Medium Enterprise, or SME Policy and Master Plan, this evening.
The policy is expected to support PNG businessmen and women by enabling the growth of local SMEs in the country from 50,000 to 500,000 by 2030.
According to the Minister responsible, Richard Maru, this will bring back the reserve list and industries for Papua New Guineans and create wealth for the people.
The story of the SME Policy, which will be launched at the Sir John Guise Stadium, began in 2010 at the first Indigenous Business Summit in Kokopo, East New Britain province.
Over 800 nationals attended that summit and back then the idea was to grow PNG local SMEs from 50,000 to 500,000 by 2030.
The government’s strategy is to create wealth for its citizens who cannot remain spectators in their own land, while the wealth is owned and controlled by others.
Maru said the status quo was unacceptable; and following the Kokopo and Madang SME summits; the government decided to put together an aggressive policy to support the creation of 450,000 new businesses for Papua New Guineans.
Minister Maru is proud that the current government has taken this bold step to change the cause of history to create opportunities and businesses for its citizens.
1,000 copies of the policy will be made available at the launch, so that Papua New Guineans will know the government’s objectives for SME policy agenda, implementation plans and the role each citizen has in playing their part to take back the economy.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=xf8mezqMFV0%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
