Papua New Guinea

With the construction phase of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG’s) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project nearing completion, the government is poised to roll out a maritime transport programme to support its bid to diversify economic interests. The far-reaching plans include overhauling ports, expanding capacity and, in some instances, relocating facilities or building new outlets to meet rising demand.

Growing interest from China in the Asia-Pacific region has driven up investment in Papua New Guinea (PNG), helping to accelerate economic expansion.

Authorities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are hoping a new emphasis on developing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will generate up to 2m jobs in the next decade or so and boost the number of locally owned businesses. However, critics say that the government will first need to improve infrastructure and access to credit.

After several years of rapid growth in Port Moresby’s residential real estate sector, the market is in consolidation mode. In response, investors are eyeing commercial and retail segments for new opportunities.

Papua New Guinean officials insist that progress in plans to host the 2015 South Pacific Games, which the leadership hopes will showcase the country’s development, are on track. However, security arrangements and the scale of work still to be done constitute formidable challenges.

Recent reports that students in some areas of Papua New Guinea (PNG) are crossing into Indonesia for lessons provided a stark reminder of the challenges the government faces in its bid to improve the education system.