PNG SME Magazine

20/11/2025

Prime Minister James Marape has fulfilled his commitment to broaden access to finance beyond traditional state‑owned banks, with the release of K30 million to Women’s Micro Bank (Mama Bank) in a ceremony witnessed by the Governor General. This follows through on his earlier pledge in January 2024 to strengthen Mama Bank’s lending capacity and expand financial inclusion for grassroots communities, women, and micro‑entrepreneurs. The initiative is part of the government’s wider push to make SME loans more accessible and affordable.

SMEs in Papua New Guinea are vital for job creation and economic growth, yet they often struggle to secure loans due to high interest rates, collateral requirements, and informal business structures. These barriers limit their ability to grow beyond subsistence.

By supporting low‑interest lending, the government enables SMEs to borrow, invest in stock, hire workers, and expand operations. Affordable credit addresses the problem of undercapitalization, giving small businesses the financial space to compete, deliver services, and strengthen the wider economy.

Mama Bank, under the leadership of CEO Gunanidhi Das since November 2019, has been transformed from a debt‑ridden institution into a profit‑driven, growth‑focused microfinance bank. As PNG’s first women‑focused licensed microbank, it provides affordable financial services to women and rural communities traditionally excluded from mainstream banking. Through innovations such as Mama Bank Access Points, mobile banking, and community partnerships, the bank empowers women entrepreneurs and rural households with savings, loans, and digital finance tools.

Since 2019, Prime Minister Marape has made SMEs central to his economic vision, channeling support through institutions like the National Development Bank, BSP, Mama Bank, and the Credit Guarantee Corporation. In 2025, he reinforced this agenda at the annual TISA Bank‑sponsored SME Breakfast and Ela Motors SME Awards organized by the PNG SME Magazine, describing SMEs as the “heartbeat” of PNG’s economy. Collectively, these measures aim to lower interest rates, expand access to finance, and empower women, rural communities, and grassroots entrepreneurs as drivers of inclusive growth.

Women's Micro Bank
SME Corporation
UNDP in Papua New Guinea

20/11/2025

NOTICE

Bou Resource Development Cooperative (BRDCSL) is proud to host a visiting delegation from WEAVE COCOA LIMITED, New Zealand – represented by the Chocolate Ambassadors New Zealand – in partnership with PARADISE FOODS LIMITED, makers of Queen Emma Chocolate.

📅 Date: 27th November
📍 Location: Outskirts of Alotau, Milne Bay

Tentative Program Highlights:

1. Boutique Market Awareness & Education
2. The History of Cacao
3. Tasting Profiles – From Post-Harvest to Final Product
4. Health Benefits & Local Consumption
5. Boutique Market Opportunities for Milne Bay
6. Vision for Queen Emma, Weave Cocoa & Chocolate Ambassadors
7. Next Steps & Future Collaboration

This event offers a valuable opportunity for cocoa farmers and interested citizens of Milne Bay to gain insights into boutique chocolate markets and explore pathways for local participation and growth.

📞 Contact: 7258 4141
📧 Email: [email protected]

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Noah
Chairman, BRDCSL
Bou Village, Alotau
Milne Bay

20/11/2025

20twenty Convenient Shop began operations in July 2021 with a modest 80‑square‑meter shop floor developed under a private residence. The business invested in essential equipment including chillers, freezers, a pie warmer, a standby generator, cash registers, and K10,300 worth of starting stock. From these humble beginnings, the shop quickly established itself as a trusted provider of everyday goods and services, earning a reputation for consistency and customer satisfaction.

By September 2025, just over four years since its founding, 20twenty Convenient Shop had expanded into a multi‑faceted enterprise. In August 2024, the company opened a second outlet at Glasnevin Commercial Estate, investing heavily in refits, inventory, and modern equipment. In May 2025, it diversified further by launching 20twenty Convenient Cottage, a six‑room Airbnb business located on the second floor of the same commercial block. Together, these ventures reflect the company’s commitment to growth, innovation, and meeting the evolving needs of its customers.

Customer experience remains central to 20twenty’s operations, particularly in areas where public transport is limited. The business actively incorporates customer feedback to refine its offerings, ensuring reliability and competitive pricing compared to major retail outlets.

With convenience at its core, customers enjoy seamless transactions through EFTPOS, easy pay options, and access to agent banking services from Bank of South Pacific and Nationwide Microbank Ltd. Supported by dedicated staff, queue management systems, and CCTV monitoring, 20twenty delivers a secure and efficient banking experience.

With its expansion into hospitality and continued investment in convenience retail, the company is positioning itself as a dynamic SME that adapts to community challenges while bringing essential services closer to the people.

Co‑owner and founder Helen Victor expressed gratitude for the recognition received from Kennedy Estate and the wider 8 Mile Suburbs in NCD and thanked UNCDF for the prestigious honour in Financial Inclusion, presented by Wycliffe Ngwabe of the United Nations Capital Development Fund at the 6th Annual Ela Motors PNG SME Awards.

UNDP in Papua New Guinea
UN Capital Development Fund
MiBank PNG
BSP Financial Group Limited
Ela Motors PNG
Credit Guarantee Corporation PNG
SME Corporation
Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion

19/11/2025

As Papua New Guinea celebrates 50 years of independence, grassroots economic empowerment is taking center stage. In East New Britain, the Growers Association, led by Simon Arnold, is driving transformation through the PACD Cocoa Project, supported by the National Government and World Bank.

Beyond cocoa, the Association is pioneering poultry and Galip nut value chains. Through its PACD partnership, 100 farmers in four clusters have received chicks, feed, and tools under a contract farming model. A mini poultry abattoir at Vimi, run by local youth, now processes and markets chicken, providing skills, income, and food security. Affordable poultry reaches surrounding communities, while farmers themselves benefit from what they raise.

The initiative also includes a Galip nut dryer and cocoa extension projects in remote areas like Duke of York Island and West Coast Namatanai. With orders already coming from Kokopo stores, the Association is preparing branded packaging to strengthen market presence.

Arnold emphasized that as PNG marks its Golden Jubilee, the focus must shift from raw commodity exports to value-added, small-scale models that empower rural communities. The Growers Association shows that real change doesn’t require billion-kina factories—just smart partnerships and community-driven innovation.

PACD- Cocoa Component

19/11/2025

Resharing post by Hon. Allan Bird |

GSR Cocoa Excellence and Trade Expo 2026

This is an open invitation to Cocoa Producers and Sponsors to participate in the upcoming Greater Sepik Region Cocoa Excellence and Trade Expo in April next year.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with the organizing committee and I am impressed with the feedback on the recent Mini Cocoa Show in Baimuru, Yangoru Saussia. One of our cooperatives has secured a contract to export a container of fine quality cocoa to the UK. Obviously with better prices.

Next year's cocoa show will be different to the previous cocoa shows. We will have at least 20 Boutique Chocolate manufacturers in Wewak for the expo.

We are expecting that the winner of this competition will secure a long term contract with an importer from Europe or the US. The winner will also get to travel and visit the factory and watch their cacao being made into chocolate.

It is also possible that the 20 Chocolate manufacturers could potentially commit to buy cocoa beans from 20 or more cooperatives around PNG. So the potential to have more than one winner is there for our best growing communities.

This is the opportunity of a lifetime. So please organize yourselves. Details on how to participate will be announced shortly.

On another note, I was very fortunate to try the best Chocolate I have ever had and it is made with beans from Yuat LLG in Angoram. Unfortunately, it is not available for purchase in PNG.

Weave Cacao, Couverture Chocolate drops, Crafted in PNG, Born in New Zealand. If you can find some, try it, you won't be disappointed.

Shout out to our Yuat people for your fine product making waves in international markets.

19/11/2025

The newly established PNG Cooperatives Alliance (PNGCA), a national non-governmental organization, has welcomed the appointment of Mr. Wale Budda Molume as Registrar of Cooperatives within the Department of Commerce and Industry. Interim President Mr. Reuben Yapi and Secretary General Dhennie Benson formally presented the Alliance to the Registrar, committing to collaborate for the advancement of the cooperative sector.

Formed in Lae earlier this year by practicing farmer cooperatives representing the Islands, Momase, Highlands, and Southern regions, the PNGCA aims to mobilize 6,112 wards across 326 LLGs nationwide. President Yapi emphasized that the Alliance exists to unite, represent, and support cooperatives across PNG, safeguarding cooperative identity, promoting cooperative values and principles, and strengthening collaboration.

This vision was demonstrated at the AgriTrade Expo in Lae, funded by the Morobe Provincial Administration, which brought together over 200 cooperative farmers. On November 13, Morobe cooperatives dominated the SME Awards, securing six of the nine recognitions.

President Yapi thanked the government for finally appointing a permanent Registrar, noting that significant work remains, including repealing the 1985 Act and enacting new policy. He urged the Minister for Commerce and Industry Hon. Win Daki and NEC, under Prime Minister Marape’s leadership, to elevate the Cooperative Societies Unit into a fully-fledged authority.

Yapi highlighted the sector’s role in expanding coffee, cocoa, spices, grains, fresh produce, and fisheries, creating jobs during and after COVID-19.

He emphasized that true economic empowerment requires a dual approach, with equal funding directed to both cooperatives and SMEs. He called for streamlined registration processes, the removal of inactive cooperatives, and stronger accountability through annual reporting. Highlighting that SMEs are largely urban-focused while cooperatives represent 80% of PNG’s rural population, he urged organizations such as CEFI to redirect efforts toward cooperatives. He also reminded banks that only through cooperatives can the unbanked population be effectively reached.

“Banks must provide loans to cooperatives, with the Credit Guarantee Corporation ensuring all agricultural financing and recognizing land as a valuable asset. Insurance should protect our crops, while cattle loans must be prioritized. Development partners—including Australia, China, India, New Zealand, the US, UK, EU, and all UN agencies in PNG—must integrate cooperatives into their 2026 plans,” Rueben reiterated. “This is how we will make PNG great,” he said.

Registrar Molume, who attended the recent awards, congratulated all cooperatives and expressed his anticipation for deeper, more meaningful engagements ahead.

Credit Guarantee Corporation PNG
UNDP in Papua New Guinea
Women's Micro Bank
MiBank PNG
Kina Bank
National Banking Corporation
International Cooperative Alliance

18/11/2025

Securing 2nd place nationally is no easy achievement. The SME Awards judging criteria assess a business’s growth in assets and production over time, alongside critical factors such as Reach (market journey of products), Edge (innovation), and Community (social inclusion). Every area must show progress, as weaknesses affect overall scoring—volumes alone cannot secure a win.

Emmanuel Federice, the co-founder of Federice Estates EST. 2020 Ltd and his team has established a small-scale cocoa and chocolate factory in Wewak and was awarded a USD 1.5 million grant under the FAO-supported EU-STREIT Program. This funding enabled the purchase of a semi-automated processing line to produce cocoa mass, powder, butter, and nibs for export as chocolate-making ingredients. Unlike many rural SMEs and cooperatives awaiting government or donor support, Federice drives its own extension services, partnering with the PNG Cocoa Board to train farmers in sustainable practices, thereby nurturing a premium market for rural cocoa growers.

Across the Bismarck Sea, through St. George’s Channel and the Solomon Sea to Bougainville, Julie Rereve—the 2025 Bougainville Entrepreneur of the Year—is building a cooperative-led chocolate factory. Though separated by oceans, her vision mirrors Federice’s. Agriculture SMEs are increasingly asserting themselves at the SME Awards, with current trends suggesting the sector is poised to dominate in 2026 unless ICT innovations disrupt the momentum.

With 4 of the Top 5 and 5 of the Top 10 businesses in PNG coming from agriculture, the sector’s rise is undeniable—signaling a new era of growth and opportunity for rural enterprises.

Federice Estates, in addition to managing its own cocoa plantation in Angoram, has expanded farmer outreach into three other districts of East Sepik. This year, it stood as the sole nominee representing East Sepik and the Greater Sepik region—the first since the SME Awards began in 2020.

Ela Motors PNG
Credit Guarantee Corporation PNG
SME Corporation
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
United Nations in Papua New Guinea
UNDP in Papua New Guinea
Australian High Commission Papua New Guinea

17/11/2025

17/11/2025

Cocoa, spice condiments, and kava were recognized for their achievements in the agriculture value chain category at the 6th National Ela Motors PNG SME Awards. The announcement was made by Tisa Bank CEO, Mr. Sunil Pokharel.

Wia Trade Enterprise (Coffee) secured first place - Ela Motors PNG SME of the Year, followed by Federice Estates (Excellence in Cocoa) in second, Ocean Kava Limited (Community Connection Excellence) in third, and PNG Organic Spice, honored as the 2025 Best Fast-Moving Consumer Good in Agriculture Downstream Processing, in forth.

These SME businesses have thrived during the COVID-19 period and accelerated through post-pandemic inflation, creating a thousand rural employment opportunities across coffee, cocoa, kava, and spices such as ginger, chili, and turmeric.

The award prizes are sponsored by PNG SME Magazine and presented by Tisa Bank.

15/11/2025

For the past five years, the SME Awards had followed a familiar rhythm—beginning promptly at 6:30pm and closing by 9:30pm. But this year, the organizers made a deliberate change. The program was pushed to 7:30pm, a thoughtful adjustment to accommodate SMEs whose travel plans had been disrupted by flight delays and cancellations. The later start ensured that even those arriving a little behind schedule could still take part in the celebration.

The evening opened with a spotlight on Cooperatives—a sector long overlooked, often dismissed as dormant, and deprived of critical government and private sector support. Yet the organizers, who had first projected the MSME Council during the inaugural SME Breakfast in 2019, extended the same recognition to Cooperatives earlier this year in June. And now, in one final roll of the dice, they were given center stage at the SME Awards.

Out of eight award categories, only three had secured sponsorships—most notably from Kina Bank and the Coffee Industry Corporation. The remaining five stood without backing, despite persistent appeals to corporate and government leaders, from district offices to provincial administrations. Just as hope seemed lost, an unexpected champion emerged.

Honley Isaac, an entrepreneur and music artist, learned of the farmers’ plight while en route from Manila to Port Moresby to perform and join a Q&A session at the event. Without hesitation, he purchased travel tickets for the Cooperatives, ensuring their presence at the awards. What he did not know was that his generosity had already been destined for recognition—an award bearing his name awaited him.

After delivering two songs and engaging in the Q&A, Isaac was called back to the stage by Executive Producer Andrew Runawery. With a signal to MoniPlus, the sponsor of the MoniPlus Bernard Chen PLWD Entrepreneur Award—a category deeply personal to founder Bernard Chen—the moment unfolded seamlessly. The Jokema Band struck up Ples Lo Lae, a fitting anthem for the night’s finale, as the National Award was presented to Morobe’s own WiaTrade, led by Dr. Joel Waramboi.

Together, they demonstrated that success is born from collaboration, resilience, and the unwavering support of those who believe in the power of SMEs and Cooperatives.

Ela Motors PNG
International Cooperative Alliance
UNICEF
UNDP in Papua New Guinea
UN Capital Development Fund
SME Corporation
Credit Guarantee Corporation PNG
Australian High Commission Papua New Guinea
Women's Micro Bank
Kina Bank
MiBank PNG
Jokema
Air Niugini
PNG Air

15/11/2025

The evening lights shimmered across the grand hall, anticipation hanging thick in the air. As the crowd hushed, a familiar voice rose above the silence.

"And tonight, it is my pleasure to say once again…"

The words carried warmth and pride, followed by the spirited call—“Asa Sumba! Why ba nogat!”—a rallying cry that drew smiles and applause from every corner of the room.

For the second time, the Award Major Prize had returned to Morobe Province, a place rich with culture, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Standing at the podium, Ela Motors CEO, Mr. Mikami, at the 6th Annual Ela Motors SME Awards with a message that was more than an announcement—it was a homecoming.

At the heart of this achievement is Wia Trade Enterprise, an agro-SME built on coffee. Founder Dr. Joel Waramboi shared how his entrepreneurial journey began with failure, but a decisive shift to coffee transformed their path. Together with his wife, the Warambois began by buying coffee across Morobe. Today, they operate a fully-fledged SME-level coffee factory.

- Their flagship Erap Coffee Brand is sold locally and exported abroad.
- They have diversified into cocoa and are preparing to launch bottled water.
- Dr. Waramboi is confident their 3-in-1 coffee will reach markets by 2026.

Other SME Winners from Morobe

- Minziong Limited – Winner of the Hino Civil Works Award
- Heima Builders – Winner of the Hardware Haus Building & Construction Award
- Honley Isaac – Winner of the MoniPlus Sir Bernard B. Chan PLWD Empowerment Award

Cooperative Endurance Recognition

Morobe’s cooperatives also shone under the Cooperative Endurance Category:
- Morobe Fisherman’s Cooperative
- Lower Watut Cocoa Cooperative
- Lagaman Cattle Cooperative

National Coffee Recognition
The Unen Choit Coffee Cooperative was honored by the Coffee Industry Corporation as PNG’s Best Coffee Cooperative.