By NOBERT KOKE
MORE than 90 Micro to Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operating under the Pacifika Women Network Trade Centre at Waigani, next to the City Pharmacy have closed down their operations.
This comes soon after the government released the K200 million SME loan facility funding through Bank South Pacific (K100 million) and National Development Bank (K80 million). The balance K20 million has gone to Trade and Commerce Department.
CEO and Founder of PWN Ruth Undi who personally invested her money of almost K700, 000.00 since mid-2018 to help the 90 mothers up until this year could not continue on because of lack of government support.
Mrs Undi during a media conference hosted on Thursday urged the Marape government to find options to support the affected 90 MSME’s mothers.
“We have established network but our operations has shut down after Steamships locked the 90 mothers out because of rentals.
“The Covid-19 Pandemic has change the landscape of everything around the world including PNG, and indeed the Women’s Trade Centre. Business closed down, government had to implement strict measures during the SOE so the trade center had to close down.
“Trade and Commerce had to stop. There was no business for many months. Business center. It was intriguing and challenging, businesses was critical to generating revenue to survive but compromises and adjustments had to be made to business operation to continue. The trade center was hard hit. Small businesses struggled to pay rentals and meet costs. There was no help or support in the horizon. Money was scarce in the economy and SME businesses weren’t provided support by the government.
“As a result of this, unfortunately the Pacifika Women Network Trade Centre had to close its doors quashing the hopes of many aspiring women in MSME businesses,” Mrs Undi said.
She said it was a sad day for visionary leaders, but a sadder day for women business in the country.
“Sad that such a novel idea couldn’t be supported, sadder that a great innovative concept and dreams of many households came crushing down to earth due to lack of support.
The Pacifika Women’s Network Trade center concept is closed but the Pacifika women network is still active and working through collection of Data, organizing meetings and greet events, participate in women forums and other networking activities,” Mrs Undi said.
Undi said she has been using her own money to help sustain the operations of this 90 MSME especially their rentals and this has been happening for the past two years.
She said she is willing to help the 90 mothers but again the government too also needs to step in and assist them also.
“I believe in taking back PNG and it’s a collective effort from everyone if we really want to take back PNG. The government needs to really step in and support us,” she said.