In Sydney
Jennifer Bartlett
Tel: +61 2 9235 6507
Email: jbartlett@ifc.org
In Hong Kong
Andrew Mak
Tel: +852 2509 8110
Email: amak@ifc.org
November 20, 2006
The International Finance Corporation’s Private Enterprise Partnership for the Pacific (PEP-Pacific) recently completed the first of two tourism project development workshops in Papua New Guinea. Cosponsored by the Tourism Promotion and Investment Promotion Authorities, the event was attended by 24 delegates representing the country’s public and private tourism sector.
The workshop was held in the Highlands region at Kumul Lodge, one of the country’s model ecotourism and community linkage projects. The event was designed to equip local entrepreneurs, government advisors, and finance industry representatives with the knowledge and skills they need to prepare, evaluate, and finance viable and sustainable tourism projects
In addition to presentations by PEP-Pacific’s John Perrottet and Jennifer Bartlett and by consultant Dain Simpson, a key part of the program was a field trip to Anji village, where participants applied their newly acquired business planning skills to the local community tourism project. Participants made recommendations to the village community.
Reporting on the success of the workshop, John Perrottet, manager of PEP-Pacific’s tourism program, said organizers and delegates agreed that the workshop was successful in building the capacity of project proponents and intermediaries. He added, “We look forward to phase two of this successful partnership with the tourism and investment authorities, when we host the coastal and islands regions workshop in 2007.”
About IFC
The International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, is the largest multilateral provider of financing for private enterprise in developing countries. IFC finances private sector investments, mobilizes capital in international financial markets, facilitates trade, helps clients improve social and environmental sustainability, and provides technical assistance and advice to businesses and governments. From its founding in 1956 through FY06, IFC has committed more than $56 billion of its own funds for private sector investments in the developing world and mobilized an additional $25 billion in syndications for 3,531 companies in 140 developing countries. With the support of funding from donors, it has also provided more than $1 billion in technical assistance and advisory services. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
About PEP-Pacific
PEP-Pacific is a multidonor funded initiative managed by IFC. Its primary objective is poverty reduction through employment-generating private sector development, with a focus on access to finance, tourism, and business climate development. PEP-Pacific works with partners to strengthen and stimulate small and medium enterprises to grow, create more jobs, raise living standards, and alleviate poverty. Through PEP-Pacific, IFC serves member countries including Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
