Granting more land titles over plantation smallholdings and National Housing Corporation housing stock, and freeing up land locked up in over 20,000 unresolved deceased estates could provide a real boost to Papua New Guinea’s small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. Dr Charles Yala, Principal & Director of Niugini Land and Properties, is calling for the more effective transfer of outstanding titles.
Economy & Investment
The 2016 Paris Agreement, to which Papua New Guinea is a signatory, has committed governments across the globe to a low carbon future. What does that mean for business? Renowned climate expert Professor Tim Flannery tells Business Advantage PNG there will be enormous opportunities.
Treasurer Charles Abel said the rise of China is creating opportunities for Papua New Guinea. But he also pointed to potential risks and a need to develop PNG’s relationship with Australia.
Gas prices rose sharply, but oil and copper were down. Business Advantage PNG’s monthly review of Papua New Guinea commodities and financial markets.
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Roberto Azavedo, has described world trade rules as being tilted towards the interests of more powerful countries. Speaking in Port Moresby recently, he said it is up to the private sector to lobby governments to act on its behalf.
Bonapas Onguglo has been working as a trade analyst at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) since 1984, advising African governments how to expand their economies. He sees new opportunities in agribusiness and the ‘ocean economy’.
The Chairman and founder of telecommunications company Digicel, Denis O’Brien, describes Papua New Guinea as a vibrant country that is a ‘fantastic location’ for investors. But he says the physical terrain also made it his company’s most challenging market.
Papua New Guinea will have to dramatically expand its small and medium enterprise (SME) sector if it is to achieve middle income status by 2030, according to Steven Maken, Managing Director of the Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation of Papua New Guinea. That will involve dealing with some key constraints.
Offshore investment by Papua New Guinea companies remains comparatively small, but there are opportunities. One banking executive suggests it as an important way local financial institutions can diversify.
Oil and gas prices are rising but cocoa and silver are weaker. Business Advantage PNG’s monthly review of Papua New Guinea commodities and financial markets.