World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) leaders are in the country to give updates on the upcoming forum planned for October 23rd-26th this year, in the nation’s capital.
Founder and President of the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute Inc. (ILDII), Rosa Walker, said it’s a bidding process. She said hosting the WIBF by a particular country could have an economic impact of two to five million dollars for the local economy.
“So right now we are working with countries to come here some of them include; Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Columbia, Chile and Guatemala. We have those particular countries who will be represented here in PNG,” Walker said.
“So we are really excited because our agenda is all about business, how do we conduct business with each other, how do we support each other, how do we invest in your country and indigenous people and opportunities that exist here. That’s the whole reason why we are coming here.”
Walker elaborated that they would like to create partnerships, provide a platform were Indigenous people can work together with other Indigenous people, create synergies and make money.
WIBF Director, Barb Hambleton, shared that the forum could be an opportunity for families to explore the country as well. She shared that leaders coming to the forum are Indigenous and non-indigenous because they recognize that they are instrumental to the economy as well.
“We do recognize that when people come to a forum they’re travelling quite a long distance to taking time away from their families. They’re coming to work with us so we encourage people to bring their families along with them because we recognize that this is a forum, destination and treat it as a holiday as well.
“We do encourage everybody to come. You’ll really enjoy the agenda that we have of different industries speaking; agriculture, AI, tourism, pharmaceuticals and many different industries,” she concluded.
The team will travel back today and will return in October with the rest of the global leaders.