News in the Island Sun newspaper today, Friday, said the Export Commodity Market Authority (CEMA) Trading Centre at Noro is expected to reopen at the end of this year.
Quoting the article it said.
This was highlighted during a consultation between the Cabinet Sub-Committee of the Prime Minister’s Office and officials from the Western Province on Wednesday this week.
In an interview with this paper (Island Sun), the Director of CEMA who is also the Team Leader of the PMO’s Cabinet Sub-committee, Martin Housanau said the consultation was successful with a lot of positive outcomes to pave the proposed plan forward.
“So, we are here for two purposes.
“Our first objective is to inform the Western Provincial government that cabinet has endorsed a strategy to reinstate the trading functions of the Commodity Export Authority and that CEMA is looking at reestablishing its Noro buying center to buy copra and cocoa.
“And the second objective is to discuss with WPG on preferable partnership arrangement that would see greater benefits for both CEMA and WPG. Partnership can either be a joint venture and what type of joint-venture is much preferred for CEMA to strike with WPG business arm,” he said.
Mr. Housanau said information gathered from the meeting would be deliberated by the cabinet to allow the board and management of CEMA to take possible intervention around November this year.
He said the team will travel to Makira province to meet with the Makira provincial government and then to Malu, Malaita and Lata, Temotu province with the same message on later dates.
“Hopefully, the Noro buying center is expected to open around November this year. The same goes for other buying centers in Malu Malaita Province and Kaonasugu in Makira province.
“These are the four major buying centers that the team through the cabinet’s blessing is trying to work towards this year.
“If any of these buying centers are unable to open this year, we will look at opening the buying centers next year,” Mr.Housanau said.
He said two engineers from the Ministry of Infrastructure are also travelling with his team to undergo technical assessment on the proposed buying centers.
Mr. Housanau explained that the assessment focuses on both physical infrastructure and basic infrastructure such as road, bridges and wharves.
End of quote.
In a separate news piece in the same newspaper, also today, Mr. Housanau in an interview with the Sun in Gizo said CEMA was also looking at Gojoruru in Isabel Province and Taro in Choiseul for establishing additional trading centres.
Mr. Housanau consultations would be made to set up the ground work for the Isabel and Taro proposed buying centres around August.
Mr. Housanau said his team will first travel to Isabel to meet and discuss things with the Isabel Provincial government before reaching out to Choiseul province.
Source. Island Sun newspaper.
Footnotes.
It is understood the CEMA Revitalisation and Recapitalisation Strategy 2021 – 2027 was launched by the Hon. Prime Minister early this month.
A budget allocation of SBD26 million dollars has been estimated for the implementation of priorities specifically for the first and second phases of the strategy.
