Tourism eyed as mine backup

LANDOWNERS of the Ok Tedi mine area in Western want to venture into tourism as a backup for when the mine closes.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Landowners’ Royalty Trust and Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) in Port Moresby on Friday for this community-based project.

“I need tourism development,” chief landowner and president of Star Mountains local-level government Borok Pitalok said.

“It is a fall-back for my people.

“More good things will happen because the mine will one day come to an end.”

Royalty Trust chief executive Aubrey DeSouza, when signing the agreement with Tourism Promotion Authority chief executive Jerry Agus, said there was huge potential for tourism in the Star Mountains. The agreement will look at developing bird watching as a first project.

“We have got other investments in commercial, residential property, hotels, stocks and shares but what we are really excited about is that this is a project which is community based,” DeSouza said.

“Royalty Trust has 10 mine villages around Ok Tedi and about 5000 beneficiaries.

“Every year we inform them about the various investments for after-mine life to sustain them for the rest of their lives.

“We expect the project to grow and give them sustainable employment and other opportunities with technical expertise of TPA.”
Agus said this was the first time for a landowner company to partner with a government agency to support local people in the community.

“Most of the time you do not see landowner companies, especially from mining and petroleum-producing areas trying to partner with sectors in tourism and agriculture,” he said.

“You do not have to have huge capital investments to go into tourism.

“It is something that we live with every day, just like agriculture.

“What we will do is to market and promote tourism products in Ok Tedi and Tabubil areas.”

Source: The National PNG

Gubernur Papua tawarkan peluang bisnis ke Lion Air Group

Gubernur Papua Lukas Enembe (Batik Biru) didampingi Kepala Badan Penghubung Provinsi Papua di Jakarta, Alex Kapisa, saat bertemu langsung Direktur Utama Lion Air Group, Edward Sirait, di Kantor Lion Air Group – Jubi/Humas Gubernur

Jayapura, Jubi – Gubernur Papua, Lukas Enembe, menawarkan peluang bisnis kepada manajemen Lion Air Group, khususnya untuk membuka rute penerbangan dari Papua ke negara-negara Pasifik.

Penawaran peluang bisnis penerbangan disampaikan langsung oleh Gubernur Enembe yang pada saat itu didampingi Kepala Badan Penghubung Provinsi Papua di Jakarta, Alexander Kapisa, kepada Direktur Utama Lion Air Group, Edward Sirait ,dan Presiden Direktur Wings Air, Achmad Hasan, di Jakarta, Senin (1/10/2018).

“Potensi peluang bisnis di wilayah negara-negara Pasifik, lebih khusus di Papua Nugini (PNG) cukup besar. Untuk itu, sangat baik jika dibuka rute baru penerbangan,” kata Enembe, melalui rilis pers kepada Jubi, di Jayapura, Selasa (2/10/2018).

Menurut ia, rencana pembukaan rute baru penerbangan bukan hanya keinginan dirinya saja, melainkan sejumlah pemimpin di wilayah Pasifik, seperti Gubernur di PNG, Gubernur Port Moresby, Gubernur Morobe, Gubernur Madang, dan Wali Kota Wewak juga menginginkan hal itu.

“Hal ini sudah kami bahas saat saya melakukan kunjungan kerja ke PNG beberapa waktu lalu, dan para gubernur di PNG sudah menyatakan mendukung. Bahkan mereka siap memberikan lahan,” ujarnya.

Ia katakan saat ini negara lain seperti Cina dan Malaysia sudah menguasai pasar ekonomi di PNG. Untuk itu, Indonesia juga harus bisa bersaing dan menjadi peserta dalam potensi bisnis tersebut.

“Kalau memang pihak managemen Lion Air Group bisa membuka layanan penerbangan ke PNG, maka kami Pemprov Papua juga siap ikut penyertaan modal untuk bekerjasama,” kata Enembe.

Direktur Utama Lion Air Group, Edward Sirait, mengaku menyambut baik rencana Gubernur Papua dalam membangun kerjasama dengan Lion Air Group untuk membuka rute penerbangan ke PNG.

Edward menyatakan pihaknya siap menjelajahi dan melakukan survei pangsa pasar provinsi di PNG yang nantinya akan dibuka rute baru. Dirinya menjanjikan ketika pihaknya sudah go public maka rencana pembukaan rute baru kemungkinan akan dibuka.

“Setelah Pilpres 2019 mendatang, Lion Air Group akan go public. Jadi tentunya ini akan kami bahas lebih detail,” kata Edward. (*)