Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is expecting small businesses in developing countries will benefit from the APEC Leaders’ Meeting that has just ended in the Philippines capital, Manila.
The main areas of discussion for APEC Leaders centre around the topic of inclusive growth for people from around the region, with an emphasis on human resource development.
He says enhancing the role of women in the economy, empowering rural communities and helping small businesses participate in global supply chains are all important issues for Papua New Guinea.
Programs and initiatives that invest in education and enhance the capacity of our people in areas such as healthcare, science and technology were areas that PNG made contributions in to advancing the APEC agenda, particularly in areas such as extending free education and universal healthcare.
O’Neill says it is important that Papua New Guinea is a contributor to the APEC process and not just a recipient of knowledge, skills and training as was the case for many years.
He says through APEC, barriers are being broken down that enable small businesses to gain advantages from global trade.