Major industrial projects underway or in the pipeline north-west of Port Moresby look likely to create an industrial and logistics corridor over the next five years. Business Advantage PNG examines the progress in Central Province, just outside Papua New Guinea’s capital.
The great untapped investment area in Papua New Guinea is infrastructure, according to Syd Yates, Executive Director of investment fund Kina Asset Management Limited (KAML).
Corporate and residential telecommunications prices in Papua New Guinea should fall over the next year as infrastructure improves, according to senior representatives of PNG’s two leading telecommunciations companies, Telikom and Digicel.
Tourism operators have welcomed the government’s plan to develop Kokopo and Rabaul in East New Britain province as the country’s tourism hub. But they warn poor infrastructure and the country’s bad image overseas could prevent PNG reaping the benefits of ‘huge’ tourism potential.
The Californian-based Neptune Pacific Line has agreed to buy a 50 per cent controlling interest in the Pacific Forum Line from the Samoan government.
As the Papua New Guinea Government prepares to negotiate the terms of a deal with Australia to improve health services, one solution may lie in the small African nation of Lesotho, which has successfully partnered with the private sector.
Telikom PNG is upgrading and expanding its network, after earlier this month signing a K600 million (US$200 million) deal with Chinese technology provider Huawei. Chairman Mahesh Patel outlines where the money will be spent and commits the state-owned telco to improving its customer service.
Construction of a new private wharf and boat ramp in Port Moresby will be completed by the end of the year, according to Karthik Pajjala, General Manager of Avenell Engineering Systems Ltd, the builders of the wharf.
Construction of the long-awaited Lae-Nadzab Road upgrade to a four-lane highway begins this month, after Prime Minister Peter O’Neill launched the project last week.
State utility PNG Power has been authorised to start negotiations with Hong Kong-based liquefied gas and power company, Energy World Corporation, to build a new 30MW-to-80MW diesel and gas-fuelled power plant in Port Moresby.