PNG Bilum Export Promotion Association seeks Governments assistance

The Minister for Trade Commerce & Industry, Richard Maru has welcomed the initiative taken by the Bilum Export Promotion Authority (BEPA)in approaching the National Government for assistance to promote the exporting of bilums overseas.

Minister Maru met with the Head of BEPA, Ms Sharlene Gawi, the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Senior Advisor for Women and Trade Program, Mr Torek Farhadi and ITC’s Consultant and Designer, Ms Jane Heng to discuss the priority on the progress of the Bilum Agreement and their plans going forward.

During the discussion Ms Gawi said the idea behind the creation of BEPA is to meet the needs of Papua New Guinean women to have their locally woven bilums sold overseas and to the growing local market.

The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the SME Corporation have been assisting BEPA in providing training for women who want to go into the trade of weaving bilums, as well as to do marketing through cataloging in order to meet international standards.

International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Senior Advisor for Women and Trade, Mr Torek Farhadi said ITC believes in empowering women in business enterprises such as those selling woven bilums and other arts and crafts.

BEPA will be putting a proposal to the Government soon on the type of support it needs to commercialise the billum industry, including finding a PNG women entrepreneur to set up an upmarket bilum shop in Port Moresby under the Government’s ‘StretPasin Stoa” business scheme.