A new ‘Bougainville Bar’ has gone on sale in New Zealand this month, marking an increased awareness by international chocolate makers of Papua New Guinea’s high quality cocoa. As Business Advantage PNG discovers, the project was made possible through a very modern form of capital raising: crowdfunding.
Industry sectors
The Ramu 2 Hydro Power Project is expected to increase total electricity generation capacity in Papua New Guinea by 36%, according to the Managing Director of Kumul Consolidated Holdings, Garry Hersey. It’s one of five new energy projects launched recently.
Hopes are high that an action plan to resolve the problems facing Papua New Guinea’s three main power grids will be endorsed at a key stakeholders’ meeting in Port Moresby this week, according to Gavin Murray, the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Country Manager for the Pacific region.
PNG’s state-owned mine is undergoing a radical restructuring which will result in a 25% workforce cut and see the company move to a Fly-In, Fly-Out operation, says Managing Director and CEO, Peter Graham.
There is some relief ahead for businesses struggling to access foreign exchange, according to the CEO of the country’s biggest bank, BSP. Robin Fleming says investment in the mining and petroleum sector and a new Sovereign Bond are the keys to boosting foreign exchange inflows.
Niugini Organics, an expanding exporter of organic coconut products made in PNG, is showcasing a business model which benefits smallholder groups in East New Britain. Business Advantage PNG spoke with director Dennis Hill to find out more.
Papua New Guinea’s state-owned National Development Bank is preparing to apply for a full commercial banking licence by early 2017, according to Managing Director, Moses Liu.
Papua New Guinea business sees light at the end of the tunnel
In spite of the talk about an economic slowdown in 2016, Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, is a city where plenty is still happening as 2015 comes to a close. Business Advantage International’s Andrew Wilkins reflects on recent discussions with Papua New Guinea business leaders.
Eleven years after the Papua New Guinea government’s National Executive Council approved the scheme, the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) in Madang Province has finally been launched, with local business leaders saying it will reduce freight costs, speed up transport and reduce congestion at Lae’s wharves.
Regulatory stability, and how industry and Government can work together to deliver ‘shared benefits’ will be key themes of next week’s Papua New Guinea Mining and Petroleum Seminar in Port Moresby, according to PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum Executive Director, Greg Anderson.