PNG’s Information Communications & Technology (ICT) industry continues to lag behind many other nations.
For example, Fiji employs over 2,500 people in their Call Center ICT business.
Why is it that PNG has not developed?
Nirmal Singh, Group CEO of Digitec, one of PNG’s larger ICT companies, offered an insight during the recent PNG Digital Economy Forum 2018.
The cost of doing business in PNG is very high, difficult to train and keep local staff, and costly international expertise were some of the reasons cited.
“We need to have a policy of ‘buy local’ to create demand for the industry. Additionally the government should consider creating incentives to encourage local entrepreneurs,” said Singh.
For ICT to progress in PNG it was decided that we all need to work together; industries, NICTA, carriers and the Department of Communications & Information Technology.
PNG needs to have an industry-wide approach through continual dialog, infrastructure and ICT skills development, and as Kevin Christie, Mapai’s Group CEO said: “What we need to do is make it work, let’s create a roadmap, let’s be real about what we can achieve, and let’s all work together.”