The people of Siassi Island in Morobe Province have been urged to go into agriculture, forestry and fisheries to sustain themselves.
Prime Minister James Marape told the islanders when addressing councilors from the Siassi islands, and Tewai-Siassi District Development Authority (DDA) members, during a breakfast meeting in Port Moresby recently.
He said the Government was working to ensure people had money in their pockets and the only way was through agriculture and fisheries.
“Our citizens must have money in their pockets. What is political independence if people in the villages do not have money? The easiest way to put money into the pockets of our people is for them to go into agriculture, forestry and fisheries,” PM Marape said.
He told the people of Siassi to be go into cocoa, copra, coffee, forestry and fisheries to empower themselves financially and bring about economic development.
The Prime Minister called for locals to revive the cocoa industry in Siassi.
“Go back to cocoa, go back to copra and go back to coffee,” he said.
PM Marape said many of the islanders had lost interest in copra, however, added that coconuts were now becoming a very important commodity worldwide. He assured those with coconut plantations that the government would buy their produce.
PM Marape said buying points will be established for Siassi farmers to sell their produce instead of having to travel long distances to look for markets.