The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) second Senior Officials Meeting (SOM2) began yesterday in Port Moresby.
SOM Chairman Ambassador Ivan Pomaleu, in his keynote address at the opening of the APEC Study Centre Consortium Conference, said there are emerging digital issues that PNG hopes to take forward in 2018 that is going to help the country solve some of its own connectivity challenge.
Pomaleu said innovation and block chain technology is highly relevant and potentially huge in the APEC economies.
He added that the SOM leaders certainly hope to spotlight some of the structural adjustments that are needed when they start thinking about how to make digital communication more accessible and cheaper.
He further urged that work must continue towards APEC’s goal of achieving a comprehensive integrated Pacific by 2025 and the implementation of the APEC connectivity blue print 2015-2025.
He stressed that the important thing in terms of how we benefit from APEC is our subscription to the general notion of an open economy certainly in relation to configuring best practice, policies and trying to ensure an equal playing field within our economy regarding government facilitated trade and investment.
The APEC Study Centre Consortium Conference is an annual event and in 2018 has been facilitated by the PNG NRI.
The 2-day meeting began on May 14 in Port Moresby as part of the APEC Second Senior Officials Meeting.
The PNG APEC Study Centre represents a huge opportunity for researchers at the Papua New Guinea National Research Institute, in PNG and abroad, to collaborate and bring regional experience to solve local issues.
These connections and partnership across the APEC consortium network have proven in the past to contribute to stronger, more inclusive public policy.