IPA gives K50,000 for ABAC meet

Caption: (L) ABAC PNG Douveri Henao receives the cheque from IPA MD Ivan Pomaleu.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, April 17, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

WITH the recent conclusion of the APEC Transport Working Group meet concluded last week- preparations are in full swing for the next APEC meet this month following a K50,000 contribution from the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA).

The APEC Business Advisory Council’s (ABAC) second meet for the year will take place in the nation’s capital from the 24th to the 27th of April.

Hosted in collaboration with the PNG APEC 2018 Coordination Authority, ABAC PNG, and IPA will see a series of events take place at International Convention Center.

Presenting its contribution to ABAC PNG, IPA Managing Director and PNG APEC Ambassador, Ivan Pomaleu said that the ABAC council was vital as it represented the business interests of APEC members other than the governance aspect of the group.

“You have the Government pursuing agendas that emerge out of APEC and that is complemented by the work the private sector is doing through the configuration known as the APEC Business Advisory Council,” Mr Pomaleu said.

“They interact at quiet high levels in terms of annual meetings, interacting with leaders and the heads of government in the various economies.”

“My job is to show support and we do that especially with our APEC colleagues in terms of policy interaction and the fact that we are hosting the second APEC meeting in Port Moresby is significant in itself.”

He said that with the PNG APEC 2018 Authority, and the role of IPA in the SME space in the country they were invited to take part in organizing the major e-commerce summit that will be held on the 25th.

“As our role at IPA in terms of supporting small businesses we have been invited to be partners in that process and are accepting registrations which is free with the first 700 getting tickets into the convention centre.”

“They will be able to hear everything about e-commerce and how it plays out in the SME space. It will be facilitated by a global authority on e-commerce.”

“IPA is pleased to support it. We want to create enough interest between now and the 25th to ensure those in the SME space need some technological leaning to be involved in the summit because it is going to be one of the things we want and that is for Papua New Guineans to leapfrog along the barriers to connect to the global value chain and that is important.”

Receiving the cheque, ABAC PNG representative, Douveri Henao, said that sponsors for the meet were welcome to take part adding that other contributors to the staging of the meet included Bank South Pacific, Digicel, Puma Energy, SP Brewery, and the Mineral Resources Authority.

“We are expecting our first delegates to arrive on the 22nd and they should all be here by the 24th. 95 percent of them have never been to this country. We are looking forward to give them that exposure.”

“ABAC members in total are 63 including the alternates it would be around 107. Both alternates and member currently on record 45 in attendance, which is a very large number of delegates that are coming in,” Henao said.

SMEs throughout the country are encouraged to attend the event with world leading speakers in the e-commerce corporate space to impart their experience.

With just over a week to go before the meet begins a total of 120 attendees have been registered, and those interested to attend can contact Beverly Puton on email beverlyp@ipa.gov.pg with registrations closing when spaces are full.