Preparations for the APEC Leaders Week are going well, according to Alan Bollard, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat. He tells Business Advantage PNG that the policy work is paying off and the logistical preparations are sound, but there are some tensions over trade.
The US$500 million sovereign bond raising will improve foreign exchange cash flows, according to Robin Fleming, Chief Executive of Bank South Pacific. He tells Business Advantage PNG that it represents an ‘important milestone’ for Papua New Guinea’s financial system.
A study by the International Finance Corporation has found that for the first six months of the year, there were 34,600 tourist visitors to Papua New Guinea. They spent a total of US$78 million (K260 million), which was an average of US$2262 (K7529) per trip.
The success of Papua New Guinea’s first US$500 million bond issue will depend on the government’s spending focus, according to Paul Barker, Director of PNG’s economics research think tank, the Institute of National Affairs. He tells Business Advantage PNG that the private sector has to get access to foreign exchange because of extended delays.
The PNG APEC Study Centre is to be officially opened next week at the National Research Institute. According to Dr Thomas Webster, Professorial Research Fellow at the NRI, the aim of the centre is to improve the understanding and enabling of innovation in Papua New Guinea.
In the second half of his exclusive conversation with Business Advantage PNG’s Andrew Wilkins, the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says the policies developed at the APEC Leaders meeting will have a lasting impact on the country. He says APEC marks a unique opportunity to market PNG as an investment destination.
The Regional Director of Digicel Pacific, Paul Statham, says the company has ‘aggressive’ plans to expand its offerings when the submarine fibre cable from Australia to Papua New Guinea is built. He says these innovations will especially benefit business.
In an interview with Business Advantage PNG’s Andrew Wilkins, the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says he is looking for deals in LNG and mining projects that will benefit all parties. In the first of a two part series, O’Neill says his government is investing to diversify the economy.
The Asian Development Bank will start redeveloping the entire Highlands Highway simultaneously rather than doing it in sections, according to David Hill, Country Director for the ADB. He outlined the ADB’s focus on improving both physical and digital connectivity in Papua New Guinea.
A report by consultancy McKinsey & Co. says activity in mining is strengthening globally. But it identifies nine mistakes in the downturn that should be avoided.