THE coffee industry in Papua New Guinea is being challenged to create demand in the European coffee market by participating in coffee expositions and trade fairs.
Colin Smith, team leader of a delegation from the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe touring coffee growing provinces in PNG this week, told a meeting of coffee growers in Goroka yesterday that they have to be in Europe to create the demand for their coffee. “You have got to make your presence known in Europe with other coffee producing countries in the world at coffee trade fairs and exhibitions to market your coffee to create demand,” Smith said. World Coffee Cuppers and Roasters on the team said they would like to taste PNG coffee here, and convince customers to buy PNG coffee. “We are willing to take samples of your coffee, roast them and get customers in Europe for you and even prepare storage for PNG Coffee at European Coffee Exhibitions,” Manuel Demets, a coffee Consultant said. Officers of the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) said the industry had started to do marketing and promotion for PNG coffee through major exporters who were linked with international buyers. However, the international buyers failed to help promote PNG Coffee offshores leaving the concept idle. Germany has been one of the major importers of PNG coffee for over four decades but has failed to promote it in Europe. DUBAI based company AWAL Impex International (Holding Ltd) has earlier announced its plans to invest US$1 billion in telecommunication, oil and gas sector, and construction and infrastructure development projects in Manus.
Company secretary Ashwini Bharadwaj said Awal had proposed to the national Government to develop Manus as an international free trade zone. She said from Dubai in January that the company has a vast interest to invest in Papua New Guinea and not only in Manus. “Our investment analyst is working on some research and development and our investment can range between US$1 billion to US$10 billion based on the research findings on the investment needs. “We will be able to allocate specific projects investment allocation once we get the investment requirement from our research and development team,” Bharadwaj said. “We have plans to invest on telecommunication, oil and gas sector, construction and infrastructure development, food and hospitality, healthcare services and children’s education. “Apart from this we have proposed to the government to develop Manus province as an international free trade zone. “Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and all political leaders and local Manus community welcomed our intention towards the development of Manus province. “Our Investment Plans is towards all the provinces of Papua New Guinea, Awal International Holdings; do not restrict itself to only invest in Manus. “Manus being province of PNG it was declared once as a Free Zone by the Government, and has opportunities to flourish as Free Zone; Awal showed its intention to develop Manus into International Standard as free zone.” The Department of Public Enterprises has welcomed a Korean delegation for the inaugural PNG- Korea trade and fair and third joint energy and resource committee into the country yesterday.
Headed by Korea’s Trade Industry and Energy vice-Minister Han Jin-Hyeon, he was accompanied by 40 officials from the public and private sectors including research institutions. Department of Public Enterprises acting secretary Dr Clement Waine outlined three goals which the country hoped to achieve out of the meeting between the two countries. He said this was an opportunity for State-owned companies to strategically align with their Korean counterparts, to leverage their expertise and experiences to grow the local businesses and to expand into resource projects together. “There are three reasons we want to achieve. We want to elevate the relationship between Papua New Guinea and Korea to the next level, we would like to expose our state owned enterprises, companies to the opportunities that is available here … expose that to Korean companies and government and third is we want to emulate on the miracle of the Han River. Korea’s Trade Industry and Energy vice Minister Han Jin-Hyeon said the trade mission has higher expectations for today’s meeting. FORMER Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma has commended the PNG LNG project partners led by ExxonMobil PNG Ltd for achieving production ahead of its schedule.
Duma said as minister responsible for the PNG LNG project from its inception in 2007 through to end of construction phase, he was pleased to see that the world class US$19 billion project was now in position to finally export gas to overseas markets of Japan, China and Taiwan. The project has a footprint encompassing provinces of Hela, Southern Highlands, Gulf and Central with a population of more than 600,000 people and many different ethnic groups and languages. Duma said Papua New Guineans should be proud that PNG will now join exclusive class of LNG producing countries in the world. Duma said: “I take this opportunity to acknowledge and pay tribute to national leaders who co-operated and worked hard to help the PNG LNG project get off the ground, particularly former prime minister and grand chief Sir Michael Somare, former deputy prime minister and current minister for public service Sir Puka Temu, governor Anderson Agiru, minister Patrick Pruaitch, minister James Marape, Don Polye, Mark Maipakai, Arthur Somare, Paul Tiensten, Francis Potape, James Lagea, John Kekeno, Issac Joseph and landowner leaders such as Augustine Mano, Larry Andagali, Libe Parindale, Mark Sakai, John Kapi Natto, John Akipe, Stanis Talu, Edward Alina, and many others.” “I commend the senior management of ExxonMobil, Oil Search Ltd and Santos Ltd for providing the required leadership and management during the very difficult construction period more particularly when there were costs overturns.” Duma said he remained confident the project, which would have a life span of 50 years, would be increased when more gas reserves waiting to be discovered, are proved up within existing licenses are discovered by project partners. |
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