Accessing customary land for development in Papua New Guinea continues to be a challenge, while difficulties remain with securing finance against that land. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, Maori landowners are forging ahead with joint ventures, using leases as security and pooling financial resources. Kevin McQuillan investigates how it’s done, in the first of a two-part series.
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Report for 2016 has found that improvements are being made to registry and payment systems, but more needs to be done. It notes that budgeting to government revenues remains difficult because of the industry’s volatility and the relatively small number of companies paying full tax.
Stephen Howes, Professor of Economics at ANU’s Crawford School of Public Policy, explains why it is that Pacific economies, unlike other developing economies, are so expensive.
The Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea has called for a national plan to make the country self-sufficient in food production, with capacity for export. Loi Bakani outlined his proposal at last month’s National Planning Consultative Summit in Lae.
The ratings agency Moody’s has affirmed Papua New Guinea’s B2 rating, but downgraded it from ‘negative from stable’, citing higher government liquidity risks, increased gross borrowing requirements and limited funding sources. It points to a growing reliance on short-term debt.
LNG prices have shown continued weakness and the cocoa price has also dropped. Business Advantage PNG’s monthly review of Papua New Guinea commodities and financial markets.
The Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) was formed in 1975 and is as old as Papua New Guinea itself. Chief Executive Augustine Mano tells Business Advantage PNG that the enterprise has a wide mandate.
The fate of some major projects will be critical for the future of the Papua New Guinea economy over the next decade. In the second of a two-part series, Andrew Wilkins discusses the implications.
The Bank of Papua New Guinea’s latest Quarterly Economic Bulletin points to a ‘slight improvement’ in economic activity in the September quarter driven by higher government expenditure and a marginal increase in private sector lending. It records an improvement in exports and commodity prices and a slowing in the increase of inflation, but lower employment levels.
Papua New Guinea is getting its house in order as it anticipates a period of stronger economic growth, driven in part by significant new investment in mineral production and infrastructure. In the first of a two-part series, Andrew Wilkins discusses its economy with business leaders and assesses where it is most likely to head.