Scheduled road projects in Papua New Guinea will cost around K7 billion over the next five years, according to David Wereh, Secretary of the Department of Works and Implementation, with almost K2.6 billion of works currently under way. But PNG’s poorly-maintained existing roads represent a ‘time bomb’ for the country.
Industry sectors
New Britain Palm Oil Limited and the West New Britain provincial government have held preliminary talks which could see electricity generated from the company’s waste products provided across the entire province.
The Papua New Guinea economy is facing significant challenges, as growth reaches 20-22% next year, ANZ Asia-Pacific Chief Economist Glenn Maguire told this month’s Papua New Guinea Advantage Investment and Infrastructure Summit in Port Moresby.
Puma Energy is starting to show its colours in Papua New Guinea, with the rebranding of its first service station following the acquisition of InterOil’s downstream assets in PNG earlier this year. It’s part of a regional investment strategy, PNG General Manager Peter Diezmann tells Business Advantage PNG.
Air Niugini and PNG Ports for partial sale: Papua New Guinea zeros in on its state-owned enterprises
First Air Niugini, then PNG Power … then PNG Ports and the National Airports Corporation? The Papua New Guinea government is embarking on a grand plan to reinvigorate state-owned enterprises. But privatisation is not the only option to ensure SOEs function as viable entities.
Coffee is recognised as one of Papua New Guinea’s most important commodities. So it was only a matter of time before locally manufactured ‘Nespresso compatible’ coffee capsules entered the PNG market. Business Advantage PNG talks to Cool Stuf, the company behind PNG’s first locally manufactured coffee capsules.
There is enough gas capacity in PNG for at least three more LNG trains over the next five-to-seven years, according to Oil Search CEO, Peter Botten, who’s called for gas developers to co-operate and share facilities.
The partial privatisation of Air Niugini will be the first in a series of privatisations. Opening the 2014 Papua New Guinea Advantage Investment and Infrastructure Summit in Port Moresby this week, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said removing government ownership will reduce waste, inefficiencies and corruption.
Last week’s eruption of the Tavurvur volcano at Rabaul has failed to daunt the spirits of tourists visiting the area, according to local tourism operator, Susie McGrade.
Businesses in Papua New Guinea want to be able to operate seamlessly in remote locations, and take advantage of the revolution in mobile services, says Pronto Software’s Steve Hillyard. Business Advantage PNG speaks with him about how PNG has become the software company’s second largest market.