Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) funding to agriculture will empower millions of Papua New Guineans.
Bulolo MP Sam Basil challenged the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), and Department of Trade, Commerce and Industry to support it.
According to DAL, the agriculture sector supports 6.1 million Papua New Guineans which make up 85 percent of the country’s population.
“We have preached about SME development and empowering our local farmers and businesses yet we cannot see beyond the horizon,” Basil said.
“The bulk of our SME entrepreneurs can start from the land and that is agriculture. And with sufficient income and business experience they can venture into other businesses.
He said reducing import tariffs on items which are used in production and processing of locally produced fruit and vegetables, livestock and poultry products will help in growing the sector.
“The SME loans should be given to growers in the poultry industry who supply local poultry companies, Zenag and Mainland Holdings.
Basil said the Bank of Papua New Guinea and the agriculture sector had warned the Government to invest in agriculture three budgets ago but the O’Neill/Dion Government continues to ignore their advice.