Commerce and Industry Minister, Wera Mori, says the government is focusing on new laws to open up Papua New Guinea’s capital markets to attract foreign investment. He also told business in Port Moresby this week that the government alone cannot rebuild the country’s economy and has called for a new bond between the state and the business community.
Rise in foreign exchange reserves expected, K1.3 billion required annually for road maintenance work, and Ramu nickel project to have 35 year life. Your weekly digest of the latest business news.
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.
Air Niugini CEO to retire, new Secretary of the Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade, a new Partner at law firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
New Port Moresby power plant to be online during early 2019, US equity firm bids A$13.5 billion for Santos, and PNG Post keen to diversify. Your weekly digest of the latest business news.
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.
The Papua New Guinea government has set up a new authority to oversee the restoration of services and infrastructure, following the February 26 earthquake. As humanitarian relief work continues, analysts expect GDP to fall slightly.
Prime Minister O’Neill working on loan to ease foreign exchange pressure, domestic market obligation for future LNG projects, and Western LNG project likely to be stand-alone. Your weekly digest of the latest business news.