Buying PNG made products helps create employment, says Ambassador Max Rai.
He is the former director-general of the trade division within the Department of Trade, Commerce and Industry.
“Papua New Guineans must consider buying PNG made products, although it is slightly expensive because the cost of production is very high.
“If you go to countries like Fiji, there are billboards everywhere saying buy Fiji made products, in PNG we have to do that.
“Before we sell to the world we must buy our own products, let’s not buy second-hand goods from other countries,” Ambassador Rai told Loop PNG.
The veteran diplomat, who will be posted to the United Nations as the country’s permanent representative, hopes the new trade policy for the country, which he spearheaded during his two years in office, will play a part in promoting locally-manufactured goods.
“I hope the trade policy will address some of these issues we have in the past 40 years.”