28 Participants Receive Certificates in MSME Financial Literacy and Digital Training

Fourteen (14) Mothers from Morata in the Moresby North West Electorate graduated among a total of twenty-eight (28) participants who have completed an intensive two-weeks training on MSME Financial Literacy and Digital Training.

The mothers from Morata were sponsored by the Office of the Moresby North West Electorate through the Member Lohia Boe Samuel. The sponsorship is an initiative by the Moresby North West Electorate to empower and equip unemployed mothers and girls to be able to start their own little SME business with a government recognized certificate from the Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance (PILAG).

The MSME Financial Literacy and Digital Training certificate is a “One Stop-Shop Business Model training program to achieve the National Government’s Policy on driving SME forward and make it as individual source of employment. The Certificate presented to the twenty-eight participants will be recognized by the banks and relevant government authorities that deal with SMEs.

One of the participants, Ms. Samantha John who is also the coordinator for the Morata Mothers SME group encouraged her fellow course participants to utilize the training skills they have acquired and further pursue their dreams in SME. She said each participant had a reason to attend this training and that reason is a business idea that must be explored, now that they have completed the basic training on how to start and manage a business while saving money and investing. For Samantha personally, the MSME Training has opened her mind to realize that most Papua New Guineans have an attitude problem towards how they use their money, and this training has helped to form ideas on how best she can save and better invest her money. Financial Security is what Samantha and the mothers from Morata hope to achieve when they go out and start their small SME projects. Ms. Samantha John also extended her appreciation and word of thanks to the member for Moresby North West Lohia Boe Samuel for funding short courses such the MSME Financial Literacy and Digital Training where unemployed women and youths are given a second chance in life to sustain their livelihoods.

Meanwhile the Director for Workforce Training and Development at PILAG, Mr. Robert Nemala called on the participants to find the purpose of why they attended this training and use that as a driving force in whatever SME plan they venture into. He said this particular SME training is important to those in the workforce who are retiring soon. The training provides the basic knowledge and skills on how a retiree can use his/her savings to still be part of the country’s economy despite leaving their fulltime jobs. Mr. Nemala said managing money and restraining yourself form reckless spending takes certain skills and the right training which is where PILAG steps in with this well packaged MSME Financial Literacy and Digital Training. Mr. Nemala said every business idea is now at our fingertips through our mobile phones with everyday use of the internet. He encouraged the participants to explore the internet and find suitable business ideas to further assist them with their plans going forward.