Will Marape Take Back PNG by Creating 500,000 SMEs for PNG by 2030 as per the PNG SME Policy?
The ambitious PNG SME Policy of 2016 is before PM James Marape’s table at present. Will he be able to stimulate economic growth for PNG by honoring a policy he had helped to create?
Download the PNG SME Policy 2016 Papua New Guinea
Prime Minister James Marape’s recent announcement of his intention to supporting SMEs in the country must be applauded.
He has also announced financial assistance in terms of Business Loans or SME Loans that could be repaid over 40 years with an interest rate of 5 percent.
Interestingly, the Prime Minister has set some high political and economic goals. One such is to making PNG the Richest Black Christian Nation in the world.
Is PM Marape anticipating a Utopian PNG as opposed to a Realist’s development viewpoint?
The PNG SME Policy is a product of nationwide consultation and discussions covering wide range of areas including issues that needed urgent attention.
This policy sets out the foundation for SME growth, entrepreneurship and economic development from a bottom-up approach.
Ambitious Plans
Will Marape Take Back PNG by Creating 500, 000 SMEs? This is the question that many are asking.
It has also come a target for major criticisms especially with challenges faced by the country with regard to the political, legislative and financial wows. The policy may struggle to ride on.
Among other ambitious plans, the government envisages to increasing the current 49,500 SMEs to half a million (500,000 SMEs) by 2030. That means, a decade from now, half of a million Papua New Guineans should own businesses.
Papua New Guinea’s new Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, has been a party to the government that had drafted and blessed this plan. However, the government never lived up to its wishes until recently when he announced a K200 million SME Loan providing financial assistance to the struggling SMEs throughout the country.
Creating the Richest Black Christian Country in the World
He is now faced with the challenge of delivering to the citizens of this Black Christian country the genuine economic freedom and well-being that we have longed for.
This is not the only challenge before his table but the Policy is the blueprint that can truly transform this Black Christian country into what the Policy aspires to create – the Richest.
There are number of things he can do within the next two years of his term as Prime Minister.
The SME Corporation is a body set up by the Government with a PNG SME Act of 2014 to promote, oversee, coordinate and report to the government on the development of SMEs in the country.
It is a government statutory authority under the Department of Trade and Industry and it aims to promoting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises by indigenous Papua New Guineans.
The SME Corporation has been milking the cow since its establishment because, of various reasons.
Firstly, it is and is always, based only in Port Moresby. How about the other centres where the bulk of the population is?
Secondly, it had never helped the country in either promoting or even funding SMEs through the Government’s established structures as planned.
The Prime Minister has to revamp, restructure and inject financial assistance to improving the work of the SME Corporation with an aim to creating half a million SMEs in a decade time. [updated November 2020; PMJM has allocated K200 million as SME Loans]. This SME Loans are available for borrowing.
Download the PNG SME Policy 2016 Papua New Guinea.
Secondly, multitudes throughout this great nation are already fed up of Asians taking up almost all the odd jobs that are supposed to be reserved for locals.
This leaves our indigenous Papua New Guineans to become mere spectators for development on their own land.
Will Marape take back PNG by creating 500,000 SMEs?
Take Back PNG
Citizens are now calling for the practicality of the catchphrase “Take-Back PNG” if it ever has a practical side of it.
Every country has done it and why can’t our new PM take all our jobs back from the invading Asians and empower us the way it things be?
There are genuine foreign investors, usually found in sectors that the laws clearly specifies.
However, there are also intruders who flock in to rob jobs that are meant for the locals.
The law clearly reserves jobs for indigenous Papua New Guineas and the demarcation between locals and the intruders has never been done.
It is now before the Prime Minister’s table; to give back the reserved jobs and chase away the leeches.
Businesses in this country have struggled to maintain their operations especially, with a deteriorating infrastructure, declining Foreign Reserves and invading Asians, among other factors. Let alone the huge debts – we can only hope that the good PM can repay them all while some of us are still breathing.
Will the new PM, James Marape, be able to reach the target of creating 500,000 SMEs by 2030?
The answer can be found in the catchphrase “Take-Back PNG”. It is inspiring yet motivating to see him using this term in unison with Garry Juffa and other like-minded Papua New Guineans.
The Prime Minister, through his cabinet minister(s), can take the catch-phrase “Take-Back PNG” as a wake up call to scrutinize the intruders, seriously implementing the laws, eliminate the middleman and give the Power back to the indigenous people of this beautiful land.
The Policy may look Protectionist by way of chasing away investors but we need businesses; we want to be our own bosses!
Some things must be lost now to celebrate gains in the long run.
Will Marape take back PNG?
The country and the world was shocked by the news of the Marape Government reluctance to renew the contract with Canadian mining giant, Barrick. Mr. Marape says the game to give resource benefits back to the citizens has started.
Empowering SMEs in PNG
On this website we have been empowering SMEs in two areas, among others;
- SME Loans
- Listing Businesses on Our Online Directory for FREE; and
- Registering New Businesses Online with IPA.
- Own a website
- Get a Bussiness Email address
See information below about the PNG SME Corporation where you can get some information about SMEs.
The PNG SME Corporation has a website which has other information.
Their contact details are;
Section 53 Allotment 19 Ume Street Gordon, P.O.Box 286, Waigani, NCD,
National Capital District
Port Moresby 211
Papua New Guinea
Download the PNG SME Policy 2016 Papua New Guinea Download the PNG SME Act of 2014
Read more about PNG SME Directory.