Support our local economy by buying PNG made: CPL Chief Executive Officer Navin Raju
A supermarket giant in the nation’s capital continues to pump millions of Kinas into the local economy by buying locally grown garden produce.
City Pharmacy Limited [CPL], which operates the chain of Stop and Shop Supermarkets in the nation’s capital buys 80 percent of vegetables and other fresh produce from its network of farmers and small medium enterprises throughout the country.
In an interview with NBC online chief executive officer Navin Raju said the company spends close to K4 million monthly.
“It’s about job creation, value creation and economic creation. They [small medium enterprises] are backbone of our economy…we need to support our local economy.”
A research paper published by the National Research Institute states that, market access is one of the four most common challenges that entrepreneurs face in operating, small businesses in the country.
A small PNG owned company who has been supplying roasted galip nuts to CPL Group of Companies in the last seven years, is one of the small medium enterprises that will have its brand promoted.
Marketing Manager Genevieve Lauana said the East New Britain based SME sources galip nuts from over 400 family farms and thanked C-P-L for supporting small businesses in the country.
She added that, “purchasing and selling [roasted] galip nuts not only support our family business but hundreds of farmers in East New Britain.”
Despite being one of the most affected companies, which saw four of its supermarkets looted and burned during the infamous Black Wednesday on 10th January. The PNG owned company is committed to reopen two more supermarkets in the coming months, after reopening its supermarket at Badili, in the nation’s capital, last week.
The company’s drive to rise from the ashes and its continuity in its program to support thousands of families, benefiting from small businesses will not pause.
“Support for SME is in-breath in our company, something our founder Sir Manesh Patel doing through CPL Foundation [and] inbuilt in our culture,” Mr Raju said.
Stop and Shop Supermarkets in Port Moresby will be promoting locally made and sourced products this week, on its shelves, as a way to promote the brand of small PNG owned businesses.