The launch of a new corporative society for Lai Valley in the Mendi Munihu district of Southern Highlands Province will pave way for economic benefits for 60,000 locals in the area.
The Lai Valley Corporate Society was launched in Munihu Government Station on Wednesday (June 29) in front of eager locals wanting to learn about the society and the opportunities it would present.
Interim Chairman of the society, Karl Sopol said the society’s focus is to help get the communities involved in small sustainable activities like piggery, poultry, and other projects rather than wait for government handouts.
The birth of the society came through discussions among elites from the area who wanted to see how they could help their people sustain their livelihoods.
Sopol said the society is all about helping people become economically independent.
“Our target is to have 5 to 10 projects going in the next five years and with funding support of the government and through memberships and set up market access from the area and into the rest of the highlands all the way to Lae”.
Sopol said with the right infrastructure in place such as the new Gulf to Southern Highlands Highway and other services such as electricity, it presented many market opportunities for the people to capitalize on.
Eric Alom, an elite from Munihu encouraged the locals to support and take advantage of economic activities through the corporative society.
“You alone do not have the resources to mobilize resources or to find the markets for your produce or products, a corporative society is able to do that for you, its here to help you get involved in business activities”, said Alom.
The society now has plans to continue carrying out awareness activities to help people understand what a corporative society does and how they can benefit.
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