As part of its activities under the ‘Gutpela Solwara, Gutpela Bisnis’ (Good Ocean, Good Business) joint programme, UNDP and UNCDF have launched a Blue Economy Incubation Facility in West New Britain Province. The official launch was celebrated on 15 May 2024 during a ceremony held in Kimbe, West New Britain Province.
The Governor of West New Britain Province, Hon. Sasindran Muthuvel, MP; the Provincial Administrator, Mr. Leo Wapmani; Conservation and Environment Protection Authority’s (CEPA) Director for Sustainable Environment Programme, Ms. Kay Kalim; UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Nicholas Booth; and the Country Lead of UNCDF, Mr. Wycliff Ngwabe, attended the opening ceremony.
Six blue enterprises in West New Britain have been selected as the first cohort to be supported by the new facility. These businesses are LA Transport Services, Potou Women’s Resources Limited, Walindi Plantation Resort, Mahoina Na Dari, Conas Trading, and Boge Investment Limited. Each of these enterprises will receive small grants. Throughout the next 12 months, these grantees will also receive ongoing mentoring and training to assist them in expanding their business operations.
“Papua New Guinea is not only one of the world’s megadiverse countries, but its location in the Coral Triangle also makes it one of the world’s most megadiverse marine environments. Kimbe Bay is the anchor of the Coral Triangle, and thousands of people in the province depend on the local coral reefs and marine life for their livelihoods,” UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Nicholas Booth, stated at the ceremony.
In recent decades, pollution, sedimentation from oil palm production, and unsustainable use of marine resources have increasingly threatened this marine biodiversity, which has had concerning consequences for local communities. By strengthening the province’s Blue Economy, the facility seeks to enhance local livelihoods, enabling people to make a living from the sea sustainably.
“We need to help these reef-positive enterprises build an economy based on conservation. However, access to finance remains limited in Papua New Guinea, and high interest rates often make it difficult for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to get started. To help sustainable businesses grow, we must provide them with access to skills training and financial products that will enable them to take their operations to the next level. This is precisely what we hope to achieve with this Incubation Facility,” Mr. Booth explained.
In his remarks, the Governor of West New Britain Province, Hon. Sasindran Muthuvel, MP, expressed his gratitude to UNDP for its long-term commitment to preserving marine life and economic development in the province. “This is an excellent programme, and we are proud to partner with UNDP to improve the livelihoods of our people who depend on our marine resources for their daily survival. On behalf of the West New Britain Provincial Government, we thank UNDP for your presence here and for helping us preserve our unique marine environment. We will do everything in our power to sustain and build on the successful programmes we are running together,” Governor Muthuvel stated at the launch ceremony.
Ms. Kalim pointed out that the government, through CEPA, is an implementing partner. She outlined the important work the government has done in collaboration with development partners and NGOs in marine conservation in Kimbe Bay.
“The Locally Managed Marine Areas play an important role in the sustainable use of coral reefs and marine resources in Kimbe Bay. All the businesses that were selected should play an important role within their communities to work towards marine conservation. In the next call for submissions to the facility, more LMMAs should be considered,” said Ms. Kalim.
The Blue Economy Incubation Facility is implemented jointly by UNDP and UNCDF under the ‘Gutpela Solwara, Gutpela Bisnis’ project with support from the National Government and the West New Britain Provincial Administration. The project is funded by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs and the Joint SDG Fund.
Originally published by UNDP Papua New Guinea
Note:
All joint programs of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
