Accessing finance to develop land in Papua New Guinea is the biggest stumbling block to creating wealth, jobs and an economic base for future generations. In New Zealand, Maori economic development is forging ahead, with the active support of banks and investors. In the second of a two-part series, Kevin McQuillan examines NZ banks’ lending criteria.
PNG was the second-largest global grower of vanilla last year, producing about 250 metric tonnes, but leading processor and exporter, Paradise Spices, is calling for regulation of the sector to resolve supply and quality issues. Karina Makori, the company’s General Manager tells Business Advantage PNG inflated prices have halted production of vanilla products for the past nine months.
Papua New Guinea’s second LNG plant is expected to be ready by 2023-2024, according to Total Managing Director, Philippe Blanchard. He told Business Advantage PNG the company is also keeping its eyes open for other energy plants in PNG.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Work at the Misima gold project has commenced, with Kingston Resources planning to extend the current resource and develop new mining areas. Kingston Resources Managing Director, Andrew Corbett, tells Business Advantage PNG he expects drilling programs to commence in April.