Fifty-six women from the Coastal Pipeline Landowner Women’s Association (CPLWA) received certificates in financial literacy training in the Astrolabe Bay LLG in Madang Province recently.
The CPL women folks commenced their training late last year, conducted through “Lukatim Graun Program” and funded by Ramu NiCo Management Limited (RNML).
Ramu Nico’s Deputy General Manager of Community Affairs Albert Tobe said RNML is pleased to see CPLWA engaged in the financial literacy training.
“This training also certifies you all to be able to receive financial assistance from financial institutions to do small projects and I also appeal to banks to make lending requirements conducive for the small people”, Tobe said.
He said Ramu NiCo is proud to assist and contribute to the development of communities along the project’s footprint (especially landowners) to build a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.
Course trainer Jayanne Mailai said Ramu NiCo royalty payment portions for CPLWA has been assisting the association to venture into Small and Medium Enterprise for years and the training will boost them to manage and save profits to venture into other businesses in the province.
She said one day Ramu NiCo like all other mines in Papua New Guinea, will end its operations and the mine will eventually shut down and that will be the time for all landowners from RNML to show PNG that they have been investing for the future.
Ward Councilor for Ward 13 under Astrolabe Bay Rural Local Level Government Councilor Garry Kulonga said the women's association in the electorate has been performing so much better and encourages the male association to step-up their game and invest also.
“The women landowner association have been performing and have invested in dinghies, trade stores, selling fuel and others. Women are good managers in every home, they are naturally fitted with budgeting knowledge at homes and this is seen through the countless business platforms they have ventured into in the previous years,” the councillor said.
He said training like this is very important for illiterate women in the village to be able to apply for financial assistance to grow themselves and the certificates they received today is only a requirement for financial institutions and commended RNML CPLWA for their continuous progress.