Angaur State is making a move to revive business activities in the island by encouraging its citizens to build on resources and programs available from various government agencies and from the national bank.
In the Angaur Entrepreneurship Forum held at the Palau Community College (PCC) on January 28, Richard Misech of Angaur gave a brief refresher about the history of the state’s businesses, citing that mom-and-pop stores were thriving in the state during the late 60s.
Angaur State Governor Kennosuke A. Suzuky, meanwhile, said that the state currently only has one available store and two laundromats.
During the forum, guests from the Palau Visitors Authority (PVA) Managing Director Stephanie Nakamura and PVA Operations and Program Director Kadoi Ruluked talked about the PVA’s One-Stop Shop Program and how this can help promote tourism in the state.
Agriculture Director Fred Sengebau, NDBP Commercial Officer Kennedy Kingjio, and LT Fritz of SBDC also each presented the available programs of their respective agencies that could help locals build up business opportunities.
“We want to build more businesses for Angaur. More businesses do not mean bad for Angaur. More businesses mean more opportunity for Angaur,” Governor Suzuky said in his speech.
“When we have more businesses, it means there is more reason for people to visit Angaur,” he added.
Suzuky said that through the forum, the people of Angaur will learn that there are agencies that can help them build their own businesses, adding that these kinds of capacity were not available 20 years ago.
“With the new movement now, Koror being the center of business, everyone is looking for ways to make money easy. I want to instill in them that making money from your own business doesn’t have to be looked at as hard thing to do. I wanna empower them to see businesses as something that is easy as well,” Suzuky said.
Suzuky explained that the lack of economic activities in Angaur is not unique in the state since other states also experience the same.
“I think this is a national problem. So as governor I want the people of Angaur to take opportunities that are in their hands now,” Suzuky said. (Rhealyn C. Pojas)