PNG SME Magazine

04/12/2025

In response to the cooperative sector’s long dormancy and persistent governance challenges, the 2025 Awards Judging Committee has introduced new benchmarks to drive transparency, inclusion, and transformative growth.

From 2026, cooperatives will be evaluated on leadership, governance, sustainable growth, and cash flow management, with emphasis on transitioning from traditional tribal or clan-based chairmanship to progressive, company-oriented management structures supported by robust administrative systems.

Key requirements include maintaining good standing with annual returns, adopting modern banking and digital payment systems, and ensuring zero cash payouts to smallholder growers to reduce crime risks. Cooperatives must demonstrate the use of e‑wallet or mobile money solutions as part of their financial practices. Sustainable growth will also be measured through climate resilience actions, domestic trade visibility, and strong supply chains for international commodity exports.

These standards aim to strengthen accountability, prepare cooperatives for future access to finance and land programs, and embed modern corporate culture.

Detailed guidelines will be released in January 2026.

04/12/2025

Standard Bank became the first African bank to integrate directly with China's Cross Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS).

CIPS enables African businesses to pay Chinese suppliers in yuan, circumventing the use of the US dollar for transactions.

The integration, initiated at an event by the South African Reserve Bank, strengthens Africa-China financial cooperation.

The new system decreases transaction costs, minimizes settlement delays, and mitigates dollar exchange rate exposure.

Kina Bank
Women's Micro Bank
MiBank PNG
BSP Financial Group Limited
Westpac PNG

03/12/2025

03/12/2025

'𝗧𝗼𝗸 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗶𝘀' 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 | 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 #𝟮/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿

Read: https://mtc.gov.vu/index.php/publications/newsletter

03/12/2025

𝑊𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝐶𝐴-𝐴𝑃 𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐸𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 2025!

At the 17th ICA-AP Regional Assembly in Colombo, we celebrated stories of courage, care, and collective ambition that show what happens when people organise through cooperatives.

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐊𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚

What began as a community’s answer to expensive, exclusionary healthcare is now one of India’s most inspiring cooperative hospitals. Under the leadership of Mr. P. Rajendran, Kollam District Cooperative Hospital has become a place where families know they will be treated with dignity, where quality care is possible without crushing debt, and where scholarships and concessions keep the most vulnerable from being left behind. In every crisis, the hospital has shown up for its community, proving that healthcare owned by people feels very different from healthcare driven by profit.

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐌𝐫 𝐊𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐁𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐤, 𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐅𝐋, 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥

For thousands of smallholder farmers in Nepal, Mr. Pathak’s leadership has meant more than access to finance, it has meant the confidence to face climate shocks, negotiate better terms, and lead their own cooperatives. By backing women’s leadership and stronger governance, he has helped turn scattered local efforts into a nationwide force that influences policy and changes everyday lives in villages across the country.

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 (𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐝) 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐋𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨, 𝐀𝐂𝐃𝐈 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

From 26 Air Force members pooling a modest fund to the Philippines’ largest cooperative, Major General Llanto’s journey with ACDI is a lesson in patience, trust, and vision. Under his guidance, ACDI has grown into a network that touches almost every part of members’ lives, from housing and health to agriculture, insurance, and renewable energy. His work shows how a cooperative can start small yet grow into an ecosystem, with members at the centre of every decision.

Heartfelt congratulations to all our 2025 awardees, you remind us that when cooperatives succeed, communities feel it first.


International Cooperative Alliance
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| | International Cooperative Alliance | SANASA Federation Ltd | Ncc Sri Lanka

02/12/2025

The Sumatin Enterprise Program, run by PNG SME Magazine, is an annual youth-focused initiative that nurtures entrepreneurship by engaging Grade 12 students in exploring trade, enterprise, and SME development across Papua New Guinea. Coordinated as part of the magazine’s mission to inspire future business leaders, the program has already achieved notable milestones: in 2020, Grace Memorial Secondary in Wau, Morobe Province, won the competition, showcasing strong regional participation, while in 2021, Madang Christian Academy student Lesmiller Pawa was recognized for his essay on Gauns Trading, a local enterprise built from humble beginnings in Rempi village.

With winners consistently emerging from outside Port Moresby, the program reflects its national reach and inclusivity. Now returning bigger and better in 2026, the Sumatin Enterprise Program is set to launch soon, promising to further empower young minds and strengthen the culture of entrepreneurship across PNG.

02/12/2025

This quote by Bill Gates means that dissatisfied customers provide the most valuable feedback for improving your business. Instead of ignoring complaints, treat them as opportunities to identify weaknesses, refine products or services, and strengthen customer relationships.

02/12/2025

2025 was a proud milestone for the PNG SME Magazine calendar, closing the year on a high note in November with the 6th Annual Ela Motors PNG SME Awards.

Launched during the height of the COVID‑19 pandemic, the Awards were championed by Ela Motors to inspire hope and recognize the resilience of entrepreneurs who overcame immense challenges in 2020. What began as a platform with 10 consolidated MSME categories has, through Ela Motors’ continued support, evolved into a streamlined program featuring:

 10 Micro Business Categories
 15 Small and Medium Business Categories
 2 Business Group Awards
 8 Cooperative Awards

Together, these total 35 recognitions for the best businesses in Papua New Guinea in 2025.

A Golden Year for PNG |
This year’s Awards carried special significance as Papua New Guinea celebrated 50 years of Independence. The 2025 overall winner was Mr. and Mrs. Waramboi, owners of Wia Trade Enterprise, a coffee business that has built a premium local brand distributed nationwide and exported overseas.

Agriculture stood out as a dominant force, with six of the Top 10 SMEs coming from Madang, Morobe, East Sepik, Eastern Highlands, and East New Britain. Their success highlights the strength of rural enterprises and the growing role of cooperatives in driving sustainable economic growth.

Expanding Reach into Rural PNG |
In 2022, the Awards organizers were challenged by the Government to bring more entries from rural communities — from wards, LLGs, districts, and provinces. Ela Motors responded with annual support worth K300,000 annually, dedicating K100,000 specifically to the SME Awards outreach and awareness from January to June, and the Nominations from July to September.

This sponsorship enabled the Awards team to:

 Participate in agriculture programs across rural PNG
 Deploy a communications drive through online platforms
 Deliver the presentation night in Port Moresby
 Provide the major prize to honouree

By 2023, categories expanded further, and in 2024, the first four cooperatives participated. In 2025, agriculture and rural SMEs dominated the Awards, with entries spanning sustainability, blue and green enterprise, coffee, cocoa, spices, fisheries, fresh produce, and more.

Driving Economic Transformation |
The quality of entries reflects the market’s response to the Government’s Connect PNG Program and agriculture initiatives aimed at creating 1 million jobs and engaging more rural participation in economic growth.

Ela Motors, through the PNG SME Awards, remains committed to supporting the economic transformation of Papua New Guinea — standing as a corporate citizen and active collaborator in the nation’s journey of growth.

Past winners of the Major Prize include:

2020 – MKR Foods (Port Moresby, NCD), awarded a Yamaha Boat

2021 – BOU Resource Cooperative Limited (Alotau, Milne Bay), awarded a Toyota Rush

2022 – E Didiman Initiative (Buka, ARoB), awarded a Hino Truck

2023 – Maku Gifts (Kokopo, East New Britain), awarded a Hino Truck

2024 – Chayil Technologies (Lae, Morobe), awarded a Hino Truck

2025 – Wia Trade (Nadzab, Morobe), awarded a Hino Truck

Through the continued support of Ela Motors and partner sponsors, more than K2 million worth of awards have been presented to MSMEs and cooperatives in recognition of their excellence and their vital contributions to employment creation and wealth generation across Papua New Guinea.

Ela Motors PNG
SME Corporation
Credit Guarantee Corporation PNG

01/12/2025

When Isaac Jipsy walked into Unity Mall on the first of December 2025 to open his showroom with Papua New Guinea’s first solar-powered vehicle, it was far more than an ordinary sales day—it marked the achievement of years of vision, resilience, and innovation.

Isaac Jipsy, an entrepreneur from Hela and the Southern Highlands who holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and an MBA, is widely recognized as the founder of ODESH (On Demand Express Services Hub). Through this innovative platform, he has been transforming public transport and on‑demand services in Port Moresby. Today, with the expansion of his ODESH dealership, Jipsy is driving Papua New Guinea toward a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.

In an exclusive interview, Jipsy explained that solar-powered vehicles represent more than just cutting-edge technology. By harnessing energy directly from the sun, they reduce dependence on fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and slash operating costs.

“Fuel alone eats into a taxi driver’s daily takings,” he said. “Our solar-powered vehicles eliminate that cost, giving drivers more take-home income for their families. We are not only solving green issues—we are enhancing household income for hardworking taxi drivers.”

Jipsy’s journey began with PomTaxi Hub, an Uber-like concept that later evolved into ODESH, a mobile app offering safe, affordable, and reliable taxi and vehicle hire services. Emerging in 2019 through the Kumul Game Changers initiative, sponsored by Kina Bank, the company quickly gained recognition as a leading SME. In 2021, ODESH Group won the e-Commerce category at the PNG SME Awards, again backed by Kina Bank. Two years later, in 2023, its commitment to safe and reliable transport was honored with the MoniPlus Road Transport Excellence Award, cementing its reputation as a pioneering enterprise driving both technological progress and social impact.

Having experienced firsthand the challenges of running a chauffeur, taxi, or hire car business, he understood the crushing burden of high fuel prices and operating costs. His solution was simple yet revolutionary: combine technology with sustainability to empower drivers and improve livelihoods.

He is not just modernizing transport—He is redefining what it means to innovate in Papua New Guinea. Cleaner air, energy independence, and long-term resilience are now within reach, and as technology advances. Isaac has positioned ODEHS at the forefront of renewable energy, battery storage, and smart mobility.

For Isaac Jipsy, the road ahead is clear: a future where transport is not only safer and smarter, but also greener—and where every driver takes home more for their family.

Climate Change and Development Authority
ODESH Group
Green Climate Fund
Kina Bank
SME Corporation

30/11/2025

30/11/2025