By WASITA ROYAL
A new Board of Directors for the Cocoa Board of Papua New Guinea (CBPNG) was officially sworn in this week, tasked with driving an increase in export earnings and solidifying cocoa’s position as a top national cash crop.
The ceremony more like a public commitment to agricultural development having ambitious targets set with renewed sense of purpose for the new CBPNG Board poised to guide Papua New Guinea’s cocoa sector into its next and more profitable and transformative, phase.
This move had aligned itself with the government’s broader strategy of appointing experienced leadership to key economic institutions.
The ceremony was presided over by Senior Magistrate Leonard Mesmin who formally concluded the statutory processes that is required to fully constitute the Board. CEO Jesse Anjin immediately set a bold financial target, announcing a goal to increase foreign exchange earnings to 2 billion kina this year, a substantial rise from the 1.3 billion kina earned last year.
During the formal swearing-in, each Board member placed a hand on the Bible and recited a formal oath. They pledged to serve Papua New Guinea with transparency and maintain strict confidentiality in their roles under the Cocoa Act, marking a solemn commitment from the new leadership.
With the Board now fully in place, its primary mandate is to provide the strategic direction necessary to transform the cocoa industry. “We want to be the number one cash crop in this country,” CEO Jesse declared, potraying the board’s mission as central to achieving the government’s national economic objectives.