By ERIC TAPAKAU
>
> INDIAN Pristine 101 Limited is the new owner of the Kokonas Indastri
> Koporesen owned shed in Buka after the company finalised its purchase
> agreement with the Koporesen recently.
>
> KIK chief executive officer Tore Ovasuru announced this yesterday to
> Autonomous Bougainville Government minister for Trade and Industry
> Joseph Watawi and Minister for the Department of Primary Industry
> Dominic Itta.
>
> The offer to Pristine was made on a condition that the company
> immediately established a copra processing mill on Bougainville.
> Pristine made its offer based on a feasibility study that it did last year .
>
> The company identified Bougainville as an ideal location to build the
> mill because the island was the biggest producer of copra in the
> country.
>
> Mr Ovasuru said the shed was up for sale and an offer had been made to
> current tenant Coconut Products Limited (CPL) but they did not want to
> purchase because of the conditions.
>
> Pristine, is the only company paying high price for a tonne of copra
> at around K800 to feed its mill in Madang was immediately welcomed
> into Bougainville as an investor in the lucrative coconut industry.
>
> Minister Watawi said the people of Bougainville had been denied access
> to proper technology for downstream processing of copra that will add
> value to the product. He said the decision by Pristine to build a mill
> on Buka was in line with the peoples' wish.
>
> He said the mill would promote downstream processing in all
> agricultural commodities and fisheries.
>
> "To materialise the peoples' wish, we are now pursuing this agenda to
> go into downstream processing," Mr Watawi said.
>
> This will create a total shift. By putting in this mill, we are
> creating direct and indirect employment opportunities and we are also
> creating an avenue to bring in more tax revenue for the ABG.
>
> "The copra farmers will also benefit as they will earn more from what
> Pristine is paying for a tonne of copra compared to existing copra
> buyers." He said Pristine had also agreed to allow Bougainvilleans and
> the ABG to become equity participants in the venture and the company
> would also consider listing on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange in the
> future.
>
> Minister Itta said for too long Bougainvilleans had seen their copra
> shipped out of the island and the farmers were left high and dry for
> all the hard work they did when the buyers made so much money.
> "As minister responsible, I want value for my resources and the
> best,"The decision to team up with Pristine is a good oen and it will
> benefit every copra farmer on Bougainville, he said.