By MALUM NALU
THE founder of QNet, an international internet-based
business in PNG, has denied claims that it is a pyramid scheme along the lines
of the infamous Money Rain and Uvistract, The
National reports.
John Schmidt, a son of Western Highlands former
politician, the late Paul Pora, said this after allegations were levelled at
him, especially on social networking site Facebook.
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| John Schmidt |
This followed his setting up of a group on Facebook,
“The Millionaire Mindset, a Kulcha for Dreamers”, which already had a big
following and he had already held a number of seminars at hotels in Port
Moresby.
QNet, or QuestNet or GoldQuest, is a Hong Kong-based
direct selling company owned by the QI Group.
The company sells a variety of products, including
energy products, nutrition, watches, jewellery and vacation packages.
The company’s marketing strategy follows a
multi-level marketing model, depending on independent representatives to refer
its products to consumers and receive compensation based on the sales volume of
their referrals and the sales volume of other independent representatives in
their teams who are arranged in a binary fashion.
The company had also been accused of operating a
product-based pyramid scheme.
In Iran and Indonesia, these accusations had
resulted in the shutdown of the company by the government and the arrest of key
members involved with the company.
Schmidt told The
National yesterday that critics were entitled to their opinions. However,
QNet was based directly on e-commerce principles using the internet.
“The business model is direct selling, which links a
manufacturer direct to a consumer,” he said.
“The company offers two options: buy as a consumer
or to engage as an entrepreneur.
“The QNet online platform for PNG pays taxes to the
government, and uses reputable international and domestic courier companies to
provide direct delivery to customers.”
Schmidt, 38, from Dobel in Mt Hagen, said he also
conducted his QNet business in Malaysia and Australia, and was looking to
expand to Fiji and Africa.
He said he had no ulterior motives than to help
Papua New Guineans set up their own companies and make money.
“It involves networking, people communicating to
people, sharing ideas, knowledge, information, products and the opportunity to
be in business.”
“As technology continues to advance in PNG, I see
many opportunities coming, where Papua New Guineans can now be engaged in
economic activities.”
Good on john !!! He is merely giving people an opportunity that he himself has proven successful. Take it or leave. Simple.
ReplyDeleteMalum, looking back at this report now in 2018, it is humbling in that we have as a country progressed in the direction envisaged all those years ago. I have been on this path for 14yrs now and in 2016 represented PNG at the APEC O2O Forum Vietnam, in 2018 March was present at the launch of the Digital Association PNG and today serving as a contractor in the APEC hosting by PNG the Digital Economy is a conversation happening at Government levels.
ReplyDeleteMay be it's time we again get together for another story on where to from here.
John Pora