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Sabtu, 05 Desember 2020 07:03:00

Joinland Group Creating Wealth For Papua New Guinea

Joinland’s Central New Hanover Project Generates Over 100 Million Ringgit In Revenue For Local Landowners & Government Since 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - 4 December 2020 - The Joinland Group, a diversified Malaysian conglomerate of varied business interests, has generated over 100 million-ringgit (USD$25 million) in revenue for local landowners and the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government since the start of its Central New Hanover Agro-Forestry Project in 2012.

These revenues, generated through the selective extraction of valuable timber as part of a licensed and regulated agro-forestry project, were paid directly to local landowners, meeting Joinland's contractual obligations under its licence, and to the PNG government through taxes and export levies.

In addition to the direct revenues that the Central New Hanover Agro-Forestry Project has contributed to the PNG and New Hanover economies, the project has also had many other direct and indirect benefits for the New Hanover community.

These have included the planting of over 2.5 million rubber trees, 560,000 cocoa trees, 54,000 coconut trees and 800,000 native calophyllum trees, which will help create sustainable jobs and income for New Hanover islanders in the future. Currently, Joinland is planting 15 essential native trees for every single tree cleared as part of its forestry activities.

As part of the project, Joinland has also constructed a total of 73 permanent houses for local villagers, with another 45 houses under construction. This total includes three church buildings, three pastors' houses, three primary school double classroom buildings, three elementary school buildings, three aid posts as well as a community health worker's house. All houses built are supplied with water tanks by Joinland and so far, a total of 1,814 water tanks, with a capacity equivalent to 9.07 million litres of water, have been provided - ensuring reliable clean water for the people of New Hanover.

Joinland has also made other investments in the infrastructure of the island. This has included the construction of over 800 km of basic roadway. This new roadway, through formerly inaccessible areas, has greatly expanded the social mobility of New Hanover villagers, reduced their living costs and improved quality of life.

Since Joinland began operations on New Hanover it has built several clinics and recruited two doctors and four nurses. These healthcare professionals primarily provide care to the 200 employees working for Joinland (approximately 70% of whom are locals who earn incomes at or above PNG's statutory minimum wage), but they also provide healthcare and medicines to local residents who require it -- free of charge.

Commenting on the project's contributions Dato' Sri Thomas Hah Tiing Siu, the founder of Joinland, said, "We are satisfied that our efforts on New Hanover are bearing fruit both for local residents and the PNG government. New Hanover has an abundance of natural resources, but, as an isolated island, it lacked economic activity and most of its residents lived in poverty.

By working closely with local landowner groups and the PNG government, we have been able to develop this unutilised land in a sustainable manner. This has contributed significantly towards the economic and social growth of New Hanover islanders and we expect that these benefits will continue to accumulate for residents in the future, particularly when the various cash crops we have been planting (rubber, cocoa and coconut) reach their maturity and productive age."

Dato' Sri Thomas concluded, "Joinland has a long-term commitment to the sustainable socio-economic development of New Hanover and its residents. We are determined to maintain and even enhance our efforts in partnership with the Papua New Guinea government, New Hanover stakeholders and residents moving forward. We remain committed to sustainably developing the island and improving the lives of everyone on it."  (*).