Industry & Retail

Although smaller than its petroleum, mining and agricultural sectors, Papua New Guinea’s industry and manufacturing are major contributors to the nation’s revenue base, and hold significant potential for future investment and development. Manufacturers face several challenges, including high transportation, utilities and security costs, import dependency, currency depreciation, a foreign exchange shortage and land acquisition difficulties. However, the country benefits from a wealth of natural resources that holds considerable potential for value-added processing, most notably in the fisheries and agriculture segment. Long-term industrial development should also support investment in construction materials and petrochemicals, a crucial step in government efforts to reduce imports and build up a robust local production base.

This chapter contains interviews with Paulus Ain, Commissioner and CEO, Independent Consumer and Competition Commission and James Lau, Managing Director, Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group.