Alotau District welcomes three urban cooperatives

With the economic sector a priority area for Alotau District this term, they are encouraging the formation of cooperatives to channel help and in Alotau on Thursday, three new cooperative groups were issued certification and welcomed aboard.

The three new cooperatives are urban based, including the Garuboi Modewa Cooperative, Kewa Compound Cooperative and the Hida Cooperative [Daga Compound].

Alotau MP Ricky Morris says it’s the way to go.

"I think the strategy is the way forward for us. We can have the groups organised and channel the support through the groups and hold people accountable through their leaders".

He adds the certificate identifies them as a registered group to source funding help for empowerment projects and development.

The handing over of certificates came with a strong Milne Bay Administration support, sectors involved in the economic sector were also present to make awareness on their roles and responsibilities to empower these new cooperatives to access information help to strengthen their drive.

The local Commerce Division, a lead agency on cooperative certification reminded the province has a total 355 cooperatives, most of them dormant, urging it will need a concerted effort and working together to keep it alive.

Other divisions also present included Fisheries & Marine Resources, Agriculture & Livestock, the Milne Bay Tourism Bureau, Kokonas Indastri Koperesen, Alotau Fire Service who even put on a demonstration to showcase their newest firemen intakes and more.

Morris says there’s already a few cooperatives registered as such outside Alotau and the district understands they need to be sustained and are doing their bit with funding, training initiatives, leadership and management help too.

They are supporting the local Commerce Division to role out such help throughout the district for the same.