Morobe is Papua New Guinea’s most populous province and the gateway to the interior of the country.
Morobe Province
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.
Bazzinuc replaces Zurenuoc in Morobe, Newcrest Mining appointment
The Papua New Guinea economy is not likely to improve greatly in the first half of the year, says Alan McLay, President of the Lae Chamber of Commerce. But he believes companies in Lae – PNG’s manufacturing and logistics hub – remain hopeful of an upturn and he expects some positive developments with power provision.
Unrest in Papua New Guinea’s second city, Lae, has caused major disruptions for the city’s business community this week. Fortunately, as Lae Chamber of Commerce President Alan McLay told Business Advantage PNG, Lae has avoided serious damage and things are now returning to normal.
The Wafi-Golpu gold-copper project in Morobe Province is a bright spot in an otherwise tight mining environment. The Morobe Mining Joint Venture partners believe it will be one of the world’s lowest cost gold projects, and expects production to begin in 2020.
The newly-upgraded Crossroads Transit Hotel aims to address a shortage of hotel rooms in Lae, Morobe Province.
Lae-based Frabelle Fishing Corporation is one of the major partners behind the Majestic Seafood venture, which opened earlier this year. But, as Frabelle’s James Johnston tells Business Advantage PNG, the company has big expansion plans of its own too.
The Lae Chamber of Commerce (LCCI) says the Rudd–O’Neill asylum seeker deal ‘will be positive for business’, according to chamber president, Alan McLay.
Construction of the long-awaited Lae-Nadzab Road upgrade to a four-lane highway begins this month, after Prime Minister Peter O’Neill launched the project last week.