Tuesday, May 01, 2012

2012 Goroka Show gets K200,000 boost from Gaming Board

By MALUM NALU
Monetary benefits of the Goroka Show, one of PNG’s biggest tourism money makers, will be known later this year when a socio-economic study is completed by the National Research Institute (NRI).
This will be the first time that such a professional economic study has been carried out into any one of the many cultural and tourism events in the country.
National Gaming Control Board chief executive officer, Edward Mike Jondi, said this when presenting K200, 000 to show committee chairman Gideon Samuel at the Bird of Paradise Hotel in Goroka on Saturday to kick-start the 2012 show.

NGCB CEO Edward Mike Jondi (left) presents the K200, 000 to Goroka show committee chairman Gideon Samuel.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

Other cash sponsorships and pledges were made, including K10, 000 from geologist Wera Mori of Mori and Associates, while Eastern Highlands provincial government and Coffee Industry Corporation made pledges.
Other companies and organisations are expected to follow suit.
Jondi said the full economic benefits of the show to Goroka and Eastern Highlands, as well as PNG as a whole, would become clearer when the study was completed by the NRI.
Jondi, who is from Lufa in Eastern Highlands, also called on other business houses in Goroka and Eastern Highlands to get behind the show as it promoted business and culture in the province.

A singsing group from Lufa entertains guests at Saturday’s launching of the 2012 Goroka Show at the Bird of Paradise Hotel.-
“Today we are proud of the many positive contributions Goroka Show adds to the province and country,” he said.
“Goroka Show is a must-see event on the tourism calendar of PNG and is a global event.
“It is an event which brings cultures together, facilitates exchange of ideas, unearths innovation, promotes positive themes, hence the reason for supporting the show.
“These positive contributions will soon become clearer as soon as an economic impact study is done by the NRI.”
Goroka Show committee last November commissioned the NRI to carry out a study into the socio-economic benefits of the show to Goroka, Eastern Highlands and PNG.

An Asaro mud man entertains guests at Saturday’s launching of the 2012 Goroka Show at the Bird of Paradise Hotel in Goroka.-
Executive officer Tom Solepa said despite Goroka having the oldest show in PNG, there were no proper records or tangible assets.
“It (Goroka show) has a very long history,” he said.
“However, despite its length of existence, there’s nothing tangible on the ground.
“I see that there’s a need to get a structure in place, which is something that we’ve talked about at committee level.
“The whole idea is to have information and data available.”
He said the study would go a long way towards self-sustainability in future, including the study by NRI.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill last year approved K700, 000 for the Goroka Show, which made the 2011 event one of the best ever.

1 comment:

  1. There are many people all over the world who make it a point to save some amount of money so they can go on vacations during their holiday breaks. Because of the cultural diversity, natural wonders and beauties and deep-seated history that they can find in a great number of places across the globe, these people do not mind spending their hard-earned money on these holiday trips.

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