WNB SME Training Program

The SME sector in Kimbe, WNB Province is the backbone of the province’s economy.

The initiative like the partnership between Small to Medium Enterprise Corporation (SMEC) and the Catholic Diocese of Kimbe, is a pilot program to see if it will pan out well and with its results, panel a decision to roll out to other provinces.

The two week SME training program was held with facilitators from SMEC.

SMEC led a two week SME training that included the building of a one stop shop incubation Centre that will assist local SME’s in the province

Forty-one priests and other clergy men from the Catholic Diocese in West New Britain attended the training.

Vicar General of Kimbe Catholic Diocese Fr Gabriel Tovo in his remarks said that God did not create us to be poor and lazy and if that were the case, we are responsible for our own circumstances.

“Disla SME school na program mipla kisim for the last 10 days is about elevating us in our community,” said Fr Gabriel.

“These people they are going to go home, go back to their parishes and make the change in the lives of our people.

“You have created this partnership bai yumi sanap wantaim na yumi wok wantaim to make the change happen,” he added.

Fr. Gabriel said participants must utilize well the knowledge acquired in the training for the greater good.

Provincial Administrator Leo Mapmani thanked SMEC for facilitating the two week program and commended the Executive Manager for Commerce Bernard Bambai and the division in their coordinated efforts and partnership with SMEC.

“As a government administration yumi sa gat plan, policy, programs na activities long yumi rollim out go down lo servim ol pipol blo yumi long both in the developed areas na rural communities blo yumi,” said Mapmani. “We cannot be everywhere at the same time, that’s why we need to partner wantaim yupla ol key stakeholders, ol churches, community based organisations, so that yumi diliverim for one purpose only, to serve our people,” he emphasized.

SMEC Managing Director Petrus Ralda said the church partnership is the way forward as it reaches the remotest areas where the government cannot. In recognizing a two week SME Training Program, Mr. Ralda spoke on the importance of the Pilot incubation project.

“The incubation project is the most systematic and sustainable and progressive way lo yumi sapotim ol SMEs blo yumi na one very important role that incubation project will do is data collection and we will be able to measure the performance of the SME development in the provincial regions based on evidence,” said Mr. Ralda

He added, “The needs and demands of SMEs are changing every day. So lo mekim mipla as an organization responsible for SME development we have to make ourselves relevant so that we can continuously change the policies so that we can be able to address the SME development.”

Author: 
Carol Kidu