14 Jun 2013

Bougainvilleans take lessons from Maori on development

5:49 pm on 14 June 2013

A Maori consultancy firm says Bougainvilleans have been keen to learn from Maori to develop their economy.

New Zealand-based Tuia International has been helping the autonomous Papua New Guinea region with a new foreign investment policy and legislation.

A director of the firm, Mike Taitoko, told Eru Rerekura about the links being developed.

MIKE TAITOKO: In their view, the Maori path that we've taken for Maori economic development has been a success in terms of how they view their own development. And of course a lot of Bougainvilleans came across here in '96 to participate in the signing of the peace agreement between the PNG national government and the Bougainville government, which set the foundations for them to re-establish their economy and their government sector and move towards autonomy. They're very keen to have a look at how the Maori economy has developed, and our relationships with both government sector and also private sector here and abroad and how they can apply some of those lessons to their own development primarily around primary industry, but aso for them around the mining sector, which was once a significant part of not just the Bougainville economy, but the PNG economy. So they're just getting back on their feet now and looking for solutions in terms of how they grow their economy again and their government, but in a way that is much more sustainable for them, that is, what does economic development and business initiative look like through their lens, rather than through a western corporate lens or Westminster governance lens looks like. So we're just advising them on those sorts of issues and aspects around business, and at the same time we've applied some of that indigenous thinking about their economy into the legislation that's been drafted and the policy that we're working on at the moment.

ERU REREKURA: You must have felt quite confident, being able to provide them with a great model of what we've done here in New Zealand, and how receptive have they been to that?

MT: The Bougainville government has been hugely receptive. And because a lot of these people came over, the current ministers, who were active during the crisis, they came across to New Zealand. They experienced first-hand our people, our marae, our relationship with the Crown. And in their eyes they viewed that as being quite a positive thing. In the past, the relationship with the Australian government, and occasionally the New Zealand government, has been a bit fraught, so they're really looking to how they can learn how Maori and iwi have participated in certain business and political activities.

ER: We must be viewed with some level of respect. And, obviously, to come to Maori and ask for advice is something quite significant for them.

MT: Fair to say, Maori are hugely respected around that region. A lot of our soldiers took part in peacekeeping campaigns and negotiations towards the end of the crisis and during the crisis. And so their understanding of Maori and of New Zealand and of our economy and society is reasonably well-advanced. They understand it reasonably well. They do have a high level of respect for Maori and for the way that we're carrying out business at the moment.