The Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea, Loi Bakani, says the foreign exchange market is on track to return to normalcy. In an exclusive interview with Business Advantage PNG, he says the PNG LNG project has begun paying taxes for the first time, which is improving the Government’s budgetary position.
After the successful launch of its first dairy farm and the 9 Mile Highlands Produce Depot last year, Innovative Agro Industry has four major expansion projects underway for 2019. Business Development Manager, Gallit Tamir, tells Business Advantage PNG, they include a second dairy farm, a frozen French fries processing plant, and large-scale coffee, cocoa, grain, stock feed processing and poultry production projects.
They’re creative, they’re tech savvy and they’re keen to share their stories. In the first of a three part series, Lisa Smyth speaks to six Papua New Guineans who are at the forefront of the digital push in PNG.
Twinza Oil is getting closer to producing gas from the Gulf of Papua according to Managing Director Huw Evans. He has outlined ambitious plans for PNG’s first offshore hydrocarbons development.
Robin Fleming, Chief Executive of Bank South Pacific – Papua New Guinea’s biggest bank – says foreign exchange availability is improving. In this exclusive interview with Business Advantage PNG, he also discusses BSP’s approach to risk, and its new digital offerings.
Canadian-listed company Cobalt 27 has acquired Highlands Pacific, principally for its interest in the Ramu nickel-cobalt mine in Papua New Guinea. The corporate play will mean divestment of non-core PNG assets.
Developers Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Papua New Guinea Government for the development of the Wafi-Golpu copper-gold mine in PNG’s Morobe Province. While the MOU indicates negotiations are proceeding well, there is still plenty of work to be done before the project gets a green light from government, local communities and investors.
Carolyn Blacklock, the acting Managing Director of PNG Power, says the money that will come from the Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership established at APEC will greatly assist the roll out of electricity. She says PNG Power has sharply increased the number of connections it is making and is aiming to concentrate on hydropower.
Kumul Consolidated Holdings, the holding company for Papua New Guinea’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs), has released its Year in Review. It says that 2018 has been ‘particularly difficult and challenging’ for the country’s SOEs and that a fundamental change is necessary if the enterprises are to expand.
Kina Bank’s vision is to be the country’s leading digital bank, CEO Greg Pawson tells Business Advantage PNG. He says the bank is preparing to take over ANZ PNG’s retail, commercial and SME businesses.