Prime Minister James Marape called on all resource sector regulators and project operators to work with the government to develop, implement and report back on the national content indicators.
The PM made the call during the first day of the inaugural Community Affairs and National Content Conference and Expo today at the PNG University of Technology in Lae, Morobe Province.
The event will run for three days, ending on Wednesday, August 30th.
Marape outlined in his speech that ‘national content’ is the way forward in distributing the benefits of resource projects in the country to locals.
“I expect the Minister for Commerce and Industry to table the PNG National Content Policy for Resources Sector 2023, which his department has been taking the lead in formulating, to submit to the Cabinet for consideration and endorsement by next month or so,” Marape told attendees in the Duncanson Hall.
The PNGNCP 2023 is expected to have five Key Policy Focus Areas (KPFA):
- KPFA 1: Procurement of goods & services from domestic suppliers. This is to promote and encourage the procurement of locally available products from PNG suppliers and import those not available through partnerships or joint ventures.
- KPFA 2: Employment of Papua New Guineans; to promote and encourage employment opportunities for qualified and skilled Papua New Guineans
- KPFA 3: Skills Development for Papua New Guineans – Promote and encourage PNG institutions to partner with industries to create sustainable skills training and workforce development pathways for Papua New Guineans.
- KPFA 4: Greater Equity Participation – Promote and encourage Papua New Guineans to take ownership in resource projects by participating in equity.
- KPFA 5: Oversight on Investment on Sustainable Development – Take account of investments into the socio-economic infrastructure developments to ensure a positive impact on the project impact communities and the country as a whole.
“The PNGNCP for Resource sectors 2023 will encourage greater investment on active participation of our citizens in business spin-offs and contracts, employment, skills training and workforce development, shareholding, and developing socioeconomic infrastructures for project-impacted communities and nationwide,” said Marape.
“I urge all relevant Government departments, agencies and institutions, including the respective project regulators, and all our good project operators, to support the Government’s National Content aspirations when the overarching policy is endorsed by the Cabinet for implementation.
“I also want to encourage for all the sector-specific national content policies like the Petroleum National Content Policy to be aligned with the overarching PNGNCP2023 for effective coordination and monitoring.”