The Managing Director of PanAust, Fred Hess, has announced a rethink on the company’s proposed Frieda River mine project. ‘It is no longer just a mining project’—it is a development project for the Sandaun and Sepik provinces, he told the Papua New Guinea Mining and Petroleum Conference in Port Moresby.
The next decade could be a ‘golden’ one for the mining sector, believes Roger Gunson, Executive Manager, Regulatory Operations at the Mineral Resources Authority. But he has called for changes to Papua New Guinea’s government policy to better protect mining tenements.
Papua New Guinea’s cocoa industry could be back to its 1970s levels if it had a strong cocoa grower-based Cocoa Board, more farmer training and increased investment. That is what John Nightingale, Managing Director of Agmark, told the country’s first-ever agricultural summit, held in Port Moresby last month.
Mastercard is working with its banking partners to introduce smart card chip technology and contactless payments to Papua New Guinea (PNG). Craig Kirkland, Director of Pacific Islands for Mastercard talks to Business Advantage PNG about this technology and why PNG is an important market for the company.
The success of a new Uber-style approach to providing secure people transport in Port Moresby will see the concept rolled out across Papua New Guinea next year, says Black Swan International CEO Brian Kelly. He tells Business Advantage PNG the upmarket service has hit a chord with business people.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, told the PNG Mining and Petroleum Conference yesterday that there would be no new taxes for the resources sector. Meanwhile, presentations by the major industry players suggest the next 12 months will be critical in determining the future growth of the sector.
Oil and gas prices are up and copper is also strong. Business Advantage PNG’s monthly review of Papua New Guinea commodities and financial markets comes to you from this week’s PNG Mining and Petroleum Conference in Port Moresby.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his Agriculture Minister, Benny Allen, have promised to boost access to credit for agricultural projects, develop import substitution and strengthen agricultural institutions. They were addressing the country’s inaugural National Agriculture Summit in Port Moresby this week.
The Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull and the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill have announced they will be working together to lay a new undersea high speed telecommunications cable from Australia to Port Moresby. The move is expected to contribute to closer economic integration between the two neighbouring countries.
Oil Search may look to list its power business on the Papua New Guinea stock exchange, Peter Botten, Managing Director of Oil Search tells Business Advantage PNG. He says that in 10 years he hopes the company’s production will have tripled.