The Government will continue to ensure that PNG remains an environment conducive to investors.
This was the message from Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Nixon Duban, during the closing of the Inaugural Petroleum and Energy Summit in Port Moresby.
Duban says while there are strong calls for the Government to maintain national interests, it must be careful as well not to scare away investors.
“Let me assure those that are committed to this country that our obligation as Government is to ensure that this environment is conducive for investment. And we’d like to encourage you, when you put your money in this country, it’s put in one of the most safest destinations for investment,” he said.
One of the highlights of the final day of the summit included presentations by ExxonMobil and Oil Search on the local content plans which they have delivered in project affected provinces of their operations.
Duban added that the Government felt strongly on the obligation of developers to allow for local content planning to be a priority to ensure locals receive opportunities from the development of resource areas.
“That those who seek to do business must allow local content to become priority in order to allow skills transfer and businesses opportunities for our people.
“And that must become an important agenda for discussion as to how we stretch the benchmark and as to how we would like to set the milestone, it must also become subject to consultation,” he said.