The Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation (SMEC) and the Catholic Diocese of Kimbe is working in partnership to provide entrepreneurship training and micro, small and, medium enterprise (MSME) development through the Church network in West New Britain province. 

Through this partnership, forty-one (41) Catholic priests and laymen attended two weeks of Start Your Business Micro-enterprise training conducted by SMEC at Mai Parish in Hoskins local level government in West New Britain last month. 

Following this training, SME Corporation will conduct a training of trainer (TOT) for the forty-one (41) priests and laymen, to enable them to conduct entrepreneurship training for their local church members throughout West New Britain Province. 

In a small but significant closing ceremony recently, SME Corporation Managing Director, Petrus Ralda told the participants that the Government to Church (G2C) Partnership is the key to reach rural population and it is an effective initiative for MSME Development in the country. 

Ralda said, Research have shown that eighty-five percent (85%) of people living in rural areas are business illiterate. 

“They do not know how to make business but they engage in the informal economy. They sell for daily survival. There is No Savings Culture.” Ralda said. 

A survey conducted by the Catholic Diocese of Kimbe also highlighted financial illiteracy as a challenge. 

Mr. Ralda said this issue can be addressed through business trainings. 

“The church reaches out to most remote areas where the Government cannot go, and such partnership will provide the training opportunity to the people in the LLG and ward levels”. 

Reverend Bishop John Bosco Auram of the Catholic Diocese of Kimbe said he has been seeking government intervention to support the communities, and the government to Church partnership, through the entrepreneurship training is an example of such collaboration. 

Acting Provincial Administrator Leo Mapmani said West New Britain is an economically stable province but there are no tangible outcome of the huge cash flow. 

He acknowledged SME Corporation for this initiative, saying it is an important strategy towards MSME development to change the mindset  of the people. 

The Government through the SME Corporation, West New Britain Provincial Administration and Kimbe Catholic Diocese will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen this partnership.  

This Partnership with the Catholic church is a pilot initiative and will replicate the partnership with other mainline churches if the partnership is successful.