Morobe entrepreneurs complete US-funded business training
Sixty-two entrepreneurs in Morobe have completed a United States-funded business training program aimed at helping small businesses improve their operations and reach new markets.
The graduates received their certificates on October 15 at the Lae SME Incubator Hub at Okari Campus, following the DreamBuilder Morobe Project delivered with implementing partner Tok Stret Consulting Ltd.
US Embassy Port Moresby Public Affairs Officer Sarah Sanderson said the program was designed to help entrepreneurs build businesses that could compete and grow.
“The United States believes the best path to lasting prosperity is trade, not aid,” Sanderson said.
“We're here to help build real businesses that compete, grow, and connect to markets in Papua New Guinea, across the Pacific, and beyond.”
The graduates operate businesses in distribution, automotive services, agriculture, construction, transport and retail.
Through the DreamBuilder online learning platform, participants gained skills in bookkeeping, maintaining a reliable supply of goods, quality control and building strong customer relationships.
The program was established in 2019 and uses a free online platform developed by Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management and the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation.
Sanderson said Morobe businesses had already demonstrated their ability to reach international markets.
She cited Muruk Tropical Produce Limited, which shipped frozen taro from Morobe to California in 2023. The taro was sourced from farmers in Lae, Nawaeb, Markham, Huon Gulf and Finschhafen districts.
She also pointed to Kongo Coffee Limited, a specialty Arabica coffee business with a branch in Lae, which has exported coffee to buyers in the United States.
Sanderson said growing Papua New Guinean businesses could create opportunities for companies in both countries.
“When Papua New Guinean businesses grow, American companies gain reliable suppliers and trusted partners, and both our nations grow more prosperous,” she said.
She urged the graduates to apply their new skills, develop relationships with buyers and mentor other aspiring entrepreneurs in Morobe.
The program aims to help small businesses strengthen their operations and build connections with markets in Papua New Guinea and overseas.