Economy & Investment

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.

The Managing Director of ANZ Papua New Guinea, Mark Baker, has said the foreign exchange restrictions are not likely to ease until a major new resources investment comes in. But in the interim he believes the Government is connecting well with business.

Papua New Guinea is on the verge of a resources boom, according to Kishti Sen, International Economist for the ANZ Banking Group. He told the recent Australia–Papua New Guinea Business Forum that the challenge is to manage the economic cycles.

The Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has criticised external commentators for ‘bias’ when assessing the PNG economy. Speaking at the 34th Australia Papua New Guinea Business Forum in Brisbane, he expressed optimism about the proposed Papua LNG project but said the economy has to be diversified to avoid boom and bust cycles.

In a move that will reassure Papua New Guinea exporters to the United Kingdom, the UK government has confirmed it will maintain the European Union’s current trading arrangements with PNG after ‘Brexit’. Meanwhile, Prime Minister O’Neill has flagged ‘huge incentives’ for investments in agriculture and tourism, Business Advantage PNG reports from London.

Kina Bank is working with the Australian government and other donors to set up a credit fund for small and medium sized business. CEO Greg Pawson has told business leaders in Port Moresby the scheme is part of the bank’s corporate responsibility.

S&P Global Ratings has lowered its long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Papua New Guinea (PNG) to ‘B’ from ‘B+’, but it believes the outlook is ‘stable’. The agency points to bigger than expected fiscal deficits because of ‘a loss of revenue and reconstruction costs after a recent earthqu

Oil prices are rising and silver is also strengthening. Business Advantage PNG’s monthly review of Papua New Guinea commodity and financial markets.

Accessing finance to develop land in Papua New Guinea is the biggest stumbling block to creating wealth, jobs and an economic base for future generations. In New Zealand, Maori economic development is forging ahead, with the active support of banks and investors. In the second of a two-part series, Kevin McQuillan examines NZ banks’ lending criteria.

Eminent scientist Professor Tim Flannery will be one of the key speakers at this year’s Business Advantage Papua New Guinea Investment Conference at the Sofitel Brisbane Central on 6 and 7 August this year.