A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) and the Eastern Highlands Provincial Administration will enable access to IPA services from the province.

 The IPA Managing Director Mr. Clarence Hoot and Eastern Highlands Acting Provincial Administrator Mr. Ipa’e Maniha signed the MOU. This will provide the avenue for IPA to collaborate with the provincial administration, business community and the public of Eastern Highlands to ensure that IPA services are accessible. It will also provide training opportunities for provincial commerce advisors and business development officers through work attachments with the IPA Head Office and its Regional Office in Mt Hagen.

Following the training of administration officers, an awareness program will be rolled out in Goroka and the other districts of EHP.

The IPA says the MOU with EHP is the first for the highlands region with similar arrangements to be extended to other Highlands Provinces in the immediate future.
 

“One of the key things that we would like to consult on through this MOU is the review of the Reserved Activities List as further work from the last approved RAL by government, “ Managing Director Clarence Hoot said.

An immediate task under the MOU is the training of EHP Commerce by IPA on how to use the new Online Registry Services to register and re-register their business entities. As support to ensure the EHP Commerce Division performs efficiently and diligently, the IPA also donated a computer set hereafter including a three-in-one, printer/scanner/copier and a wifi modem to assist the Commerce Officers’ use in providing these services.

Mr. Hoot said he was happy to see that the MOU was finally signed after a while and reinforced the IPA’s commitment in making available its services right down to the district level with the use of information technology. “The IPA has been around for the last thirty years and over the years has been committed in ensuring that its services trickle down to ordinary citizens,” Mr. Hoot said. “That is why we have been investing resources in strengthening partnerships and enhancing collaboration with Provincial Administrations and other stakeholder agencies as well as private sector stakeholders,” he added.

Whilst acknowledging the internet connectivity issues currently being experienced in some parts of the country, Mr. Hoot said this must not limit the government from continuing to strive to deliver services using technology.

Mr. Maniha was pleased with the IPA for choosing the EHP stating that the province was big with a population of almost 800, 000 and the Government needed to empower the people by creating business opportunities for them to participate in.

“We have to start creating employment for our people and people must be trained to create their own business, “he said. “With such services we can help our people to do that.”

Mr. Maniha also said that there were many businesses operating in the province but his office was unsure whether these businesses have been registered or not. He said with the set up of the IPA help desk the team can conduct spot checks to identify what activities these businesses were conducting and whether they were legally registered and paying taxes.

He said as the Acting PA of the province he would ensure that the help desk was effectively implemented so that IPA can eventually set up a full IPA branch in EHP.

The MOU with EHPA now brings the number of MOUs and IPA help desks established with Provincial Administrations to nine provinces. The IPA will work with other provinces soon starting with Enga, Jiwaka, Chimbu and to Southern Highlands and Hela provinces.

IPA has existing MOUs with its colleague regulatory agencies such as the Internal Revenue Commission, Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority, Customs PNG, Financial Analysis and Supervision Unit (Bank of Papua New Guinea), National Information and Communication Technology Authority, PNG Fraud Directorate, Department of Implementation and Rural Development and National Cultural Commission.

Mr. Hoot is calling on other Provincial Administrations and Government Agencies to partner with the IPA so that all government services can be streamlined and delivered to the people in rural communities and provinces so they can equally participate in nation building going forward.