The Investment Promotion Authority is a silver sponsor of the first ever National Development Bank Women In Business Summit that is currently been held at the Holiday Inn in Port Moresby. The NDB Women In Business Summit began on Sunday 25 March and will run for three days ending on Tuesday 27 March 2012.
I had the privilege of attending the summit today in the afternoon with the Registrar of Companies. The Registrar had a slot to present a topic on the business registration process in PNG and more importantly the compliance requirement of companies to lodge annual returns as well as other maintenance issues under the Companies Act of PNG. Earlier in the morning the Director of the Investment Export Promotion Division of the IPA also presented a topic on emerging business opportunities in PNG.
Many of the women folk who attended had travelled into the city for the three day summit from all over PNG and the Holiday Inn Ballroom on the ground floor was fully packed with late comers like myself having to stand at the back. When we walked into the conference room we could feel the stifling heat in the packed conference room as the air condition system was not working properly. Late in the summit, the Holiday Inn management reassured the summit organisers and the delegates that the air condition would be sorted for the rest of the event. However, despite the hot and stuffy atmosphere many of the women braved it to listen and learn from the key speakers that were selected to present on various topics concerning business in PNG.
For many of the women who attended it was an opportunity to learn first hand about the many issues they would face in operating their very own business. Not only that but it was also an opportunity to meet in person other inspirational women leaders and share and discuss business ideas and build their business network through such a summit. Many of the women were found mingling over tea breaks discussing what they were currently doing in what ever small business ventures they had already started or had in mind and I am sure many will walk away from this summit with fresh business ideas and motivation to start running their own business or expand on their existing ones.
For this reason I commend the National Development Bank for its efforts in supporting indigenous businessmen especially the women folk in PNG and also the youths as I hear the NDB has something in store for youths in PNG who aspire to go into business for themselves. I also hope to see many more such business summits in future as such events like this will help many more of our local folks become more self sufficient as they venture into their own businesses.
Image source: NDB Women In Business.
Labels: Business Ideas