Chocolate factory planned for Wewak

Source: The National, Tuesday, February 12, 2013

A CHOCOLATE factory will be set up in Wewak, East Sepik, pending the outcome of a feasibility study to be carried out by the Department of Trade, Commerce and Industry.
Leading Papua New Guinea downstream food processing entrepreneur Micky Puritau, founder of Paradise Spices, has been engaged by the department to lead the team carrying out the study.
The company, no newcomer to PNG cocoa and chocolate production,  already exports PNG vanilla, chilli, pepper, galip nut, cardamon, tumeric, nutmeg, cocoa nibs, ginger, cinnamon, virgin coconut oil and pure vanilla extract to many countries around the world.
Puritau says there is no reason why a chocolate factory shouldn’t be a goer in the country.
“Many overseas companies have told us that chocolate is not viable in this country,” he said.
“I’m totally against this.
“We’ve proved it in the vanilla industry.
“With exports of vanilla, we were getting margins of 40%, but when we produced finished products, we were actually getting 200-500% margins.
“I don’t see any reason why chocolate can’t also reach these margins.
“We have the production on the ground, the issue is when can we do it (produce chocolate).”
Puritau says PNG’s cocoa industry will be on to a winner with the establishment of a chocolate factory.
“Let me say that it’s going to be a successful chocolate company.
“You don’t have to look for markets as there are markets already available.
“People who say that there are no markets are actually telling you lies.
“We believe that downstream processing is the way to go for this country.”
Puritau said Paradise Spices had already proved that chocolate could be produced in the country.
“We did some small-scale chocolate production and I can tell you this: the quality of the chocolate we produced was of high, premium value,” he said.
“Good taste.
Maru said Wewak was chosen because cocoa production in East New Britain, formerly the largest producer in the country, had been decimated by the dreaded cocoa pod borer (CPB).
“Wewak, not because I come from there, but because East Sepik is now the leading cocoa producer in Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“East Sepik is also close to the mass market of Indonesia.
“I will start work with my team on the feasibility study into a new chocolate factory in Wewak.”

Review of LNG grants sought

Source: The National, Tuesday, February 12, 2013

By MALUM NALU

PAYMENTS of business development grants (BDGs) to LNG project landowners in Angore, Hela, have been put on hold until a review into use of all past grants is completed.
This was announced by Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru yesterday after concerns about how these grants – running into millions of kina – have been used since the signing of the Kokopo umbrella benefits sharing agreement (UBSA) in 2009.
Of a total government appropriation of K120 million – dished out to licenced areas in Hela, Western and Central – about K106 million has already been spent, with K14 million left.
Of this, K12 million is yet to be paid to Angore petroleum development licence (PDL) 8 landowners.
National Executive Council (NEC) appropriation of BDGs for all licences areas include: LNG plant site Portion 152 (K17 million), LNG pipeline area (K16 million), Hides PDL 1 (K20 million, K700,000 remaining), Kutubu PDL 2 (K10 million, K1 million remaining), Gobe PDL 3 and 4 (K8 million), Moran PDL 5 (K6 million), Moran PDL 6 (K4 million), Hides PDL 7 (K15 million), Juha PDL 9 (K11 million) and Angore PDL 8 (K12 million yet to be paid).
Maru said millions of kina had been squandered, with nothing to show because there had not been any proactive and systematic processes put in place for effective and continuous monitoring.
“There are many allegations that BDGs have been used on pokies, etc, and not on starting businesses for impacted landowners,” Maru said.
“By law and by agreement, the nature of BDGs were not cash handouts, but were intended for business capital to empower local communities in the project impact areas.
“There will be a freeze on all payments of the BDGs until the review is complete and a new BDG policy is structured.”
Maru said the review would start after he undertook a visit to the impacted areas to verify with landowners if grants given to them were used for their intended purposes.
He and chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc will lead a government delegation to these impacted areas.
Maru said the prime minister fully backed his moves to conduct the review and all Hela MPs would be asked to join the government review team.
“We must go and meet with the impacted landowners, get firsthand what the issues are and incorporate both landowner views and positions before we work out the way forward,” he said.
“This would be a major exercise involving the strengthening of the local content mechanisms on the ground and the relevant agencies of state.
“I am concerned that so far, there are no systems to ensure that public funds were used for spin-off businesses that will directly benefit impacted communities today and beyond the life of the project.”

Ramu Nico firms tri-nation bonds

Source: The National,Monday,  February 11, 2013 

 

PAPUA New Guinea’s first US$1.6 billion nickel project and fifth largest in the world has the potential to promote and further strengthen the mutual benefits and cooperation between China, Australia and PNG when it reaches its production capacity.
Chinese Ambassador Qiu Bohua highlighted this during his brief visit to Ramu NiCo project’s Basamuk refinery in Madang last Friday to convey the embassy’s greetings and best wishes to Ramu NiCo staff and management on the eve of Chinese Spring Festival.
Qiu was warmly welcomed by board chairman of Ramu NiCo Zhao Shimin, Philip Allcorn, general manager Basamuk refinery and other senior staff and management of the company.
After receiving a site safety induction given by Ramu NiCo’s training manager Jeffers Heptol, Qiu took a guided tour of the Basamuk refinery where he displayed great interests in the progress of the load commissioning and sent his seasonal greetings to the site staff.
“Ramu NiCo is not only China’s largest investment project in the Pacific Islands region, but also the first large-scale project jointly invested by China, Australia and PNG.
“We should make untiring efforts with earnest and down-to-earth spirit and strive for more sincere cooperation efficiency soon, to benefit the people of the three countries and to compose a new chapter of cooperation among China, Australia and PNG.” Qiu said.
He also shared his idea with the company’s management that Ramu NiCo should work towards enhancing the awareness of cooperation and win-win mechanism for the three countries.
He said China did not have a long history of full participation in international economic cooperation but would learn and draw advanced managerial experience and technologies from advanced countries to build a world-class nickel project in Ramu NiCo.
Qiu encouraged the management to promote and intensify awareness on safety and prevent all the potential safety hazards and achieve work safety with zero accidents.
“Ramu NiCo is a world-class large-scale mining enterprise with complicated mining, ore slurry transportation and metallurgical processes as well as high technical standards,” he said.

French group eyes fish project

Source: The National,Monday, February 11, 2013 

 

A French fishing company will spend US$500 million in a fishing project in Papua New Guinea, according to Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru.
He met the representatives from Sapmer-Piriou Joint Venture in Singapore last month.
The joint venture intends to go into a fish-processing facility in PNG.
“Sapmer-Pirious Joint Venture will build a 300m-long fisheries wharf, a value-added tuna processing plant, a 400m dry dock and a shipyard,” Maru said.
“The total cost of their investment is about US$500 million.
“The company has expressed strong interest to lease land at the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ, in Madang).
“Negotiations are being finalised for a project agreement to be signed between the project promoter and the state.”
Maru said this was important, given the duty-free access market into the European Union market for PNG canned tuna and tuna loins, with the project expected to employ about 2,500 people.
“I am very supportive and keen on this project and have proposed to the investors to also include a shipbuilding yard as the first in the country and to teach our people on new trades,” he said.
“The company has shipbuilding operations in Vietnam and Nigeria and I’m insisting that similar operations be merged with the fish-processing plant.”
Maru said the company must also include a waste management processing facility in its plant to avoid environmental damage.
He said the project, when implemented, would be the anchor investment project at PMIZ.

PNG seeks more Indian investments

Source: The National,Monday,  February 11, 2013

By MALUM NALU

PAPUA New Guinea is moving to pursue direct investment relations with Asian economic power India, according to Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru.
He told reporters last Friday that despite PNG establishing formal diplomatic relationships with India in 2006, it had failed to bring in direct investments from India.
Maru, who addressed a global partnership summit in India last month,  said statistics from 2010-11 showed that India imported US$100.56 million worth of products from PNG, while exporting US$17.58 million worth of products to PNG.
PNG’s main exports to India are gold, copper, timber, copra, marine products, coffee, vanilla and cocoa.
India’s main exports to PNG are textiles, machinery, food, manufactured goods, pharmaceuticals, surgical items, soap, washing detergents/powder, polishes, paper and paper pulp.
“It’s important that we understand that India is going to be the third biggest economy in the world, second only to China (in the Asia-Pacific),” Maru said.
“India is growing and evolving and its growth rate sits at around 6.6%.”
Maru urged acting secretary for Foreign Affairs Lucy Bogari, Internal Revue Commision commissioner Betty Palaso and Investment Promotion Authority managing director Ivan Pomaleu to fast track finalisation of agreements between the two countries and to work in consultation with PNG’s high commissioner to India Tarcisius Eri
He highlighted that Indian companies had expertise in satellites, private power stations, private highways and private education institutions.
“India is very keen on establishing businesses in the country, including the resource sector,” Maru said.
“There is huge potential and scope to develop and enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries, considering the fact that India is one of the economic powerhouses of the world and is a major hub for a lot of companies and businesses, with strong average annual growth of 6% to 8%.
“India’s engagement has progressively increased with PNG in both trade and investment.
“Their major economic relations with PNG are in the fields of energy, education, telecommunication and information technology.”
Meanwhile, on his return, Maru stopped over in Singapore and met his counterpart minister Lim Hng Kiang and several companies with interest in PNG’s fisheries and financial sectors
“The Singapore government has strongly urged PNG to hold an investment seminar in Singapore to promote PNG’s investment opportunities in the region,” he said.
 

New microbank gets licence

Source: The National,Monday, February 11, 2013

BANK of PNG governor Loi Bakani has presented a licence to the board of People’s Micro Bank Ltd, an entity owned and run by the National Development Bank.
People’s Micro Bank was granted a licence on Jan 15.
“People’s Micro Bank Ltd was licenced under the Banks and Financial Institutions Act 2000, as a licenced financial institution operating as a microbank,” Bakani said.
“The granting of this licence reflects the government’s commitment to make financial services accessible to the rural population through vehicles like microfinance institutions.”
Bakani, in welcoming the board of the new licence holder last Friday, said the Central Bank’s financial inclusion initiatives, which were in support of the Governments Vision 2050 objective for a financially inclusive population, through wealth-creation to reduce poverty.
“Its priorities include the creation of a National Centre for Financial Inclusion (NCFI) to conduct financial literacy training for the unbanked population in the rural and urban areas, develop capacity building programmes for microfinance institutions, develop an appropriate regulatory framework for supervision of MFIs and facilitate access to finance for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) through a risk share facility,” he said.
“The Central Bank has prioritised financial inclusion as one of its key objectives and is working very closely with other partners to achieve it.
“The priority areas included:  continuous promotion of developments in the microfinance sector; the roll out of mobile and electronic banking; advocacy on financial literacy and financial education; and improvement of the national payment system.”
Bakani stressed that having a financially literate population was the key to drive other initiatives.
“If people understand the basics of finance and how one can create wealth with it, it will enable them to make good decisions on where and how to save or invest,” he said.
“People’s Micro Bank Ltd should make good use of its licence to strategically move it forward and is better placed to assist people in rural areas currently underserved in terms of accessing financial services.”
 Bakani also welcomed the new entity to partner the bank in its efforts to reach out to the 85% of the population that was unbanked or underserved. 
 

Hindus urge strong legislation in Papua New Guinea for sorcery related killings

The Jet

Fiji's Community Newspaper

Shocked by the reported brutal torturing and burning alive of a young woman on sorcery accusations on February six, Hindus are urging Papua New Guinea to come up with a strong legislation to deal with growing sorcery-related killings.
According to reports, a 20-year old mother of one was burned alive in front of hundreds of people in Papua New Guinea on the accusation of using sorcery to kill a boy aged six years.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that this barbaric act was highly unacceptable in the 21st century world.

Rajan Zed

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, suggested Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter Charles Paire O’Neill to take this issue seriously and besides tougher legislation, also launch an educational campaign in the country. Papua New Guinea religious leaders should also help in raising awareness, Zed added.
Moreover, Papua New Guinea also needed to do serious soul searching on the treatment of women, Rajan Zed noted.