56 women from Coastal Pipeline Landowner Women’s Association (CPLWA) located in Ramu Nickel Project received their certificates at Erima Primary School after completing their financial Literacy Training  in the Astrolabe Bay LLG at Rai Coast District, in Madang Province on the 13th of April, 2024.

The CPL women folks commenced their training late last year  which was conducted through a “Lukatim Graun Program” and funded in 2023 by Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Limited (RNML) CPLWA Marika Zone for its zone members.

Ramu NiCo Community Affairs Deputy General Manager Mr. Albert Tobe said RNML is pleased to see its CPLWA engaged in the financial literacy training for them to be equipped when using their royalty portions.

“This training also certify you all to be able to receive financial assistance from financial institutions to do small projects and I also appeal to banks to make lending requirements conducive for the small people ”, Tobe said.

He said Ramu NiCo is proud to assist and contribute to the development of communities along the projects footprint (especially landowners) to build the better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The Financial Literacy Program Course Trainer Mrs. Jayanne Malai said Ramu NiCo royalty payment portions for Coastal Pipeline Landowner Women Association has been promoting and assisting the association to venture into Small and Medium Enterprise for years and now with the training that the women receive will boost them to manage and save profits to venture more into other business in the province.

“I would like to hear in the coming years after this graduation that the women from the CPLWA will one time base their security money on their profit for other business ventures apart from depending too much on the royalty potion provided by RNML,” Malai said.

He said one day Ramu NiCo like all other mines in Papua New Guinea, will end its operations and the mine will eventually shut down and that will be the time for every landowner’s from RNML to show PNG that they have been investing for the future.

Ward Councilor for Ward 13 under Astrolabe Bay Rural Local Level Government Councilor Garry Kulonga said the women association in the electorate has been performing much better and encourages the male association to step-up their game and invest.

“The women landowner association have been performing and have invested in dinghies, trade stores, selling fuel and others,” the councilor said.

“Women are good managers in every home, they are naturally fitted with budgeting knowledge at homes and this is seen through the countless business platforms they have ventured into in the previous years,” the councilor said.

He said trainings like this are very important for illiterate women in the village to be able to apply for financial assistance to grow them-selves and the certificates they received today is only a requirement for financial institutions and commend RNML CPLWA for their continuous progress.

Ends

Training Graduation Ceremony