Prime Minister James Marape

The Government says the forthcoming structure will ensure that 10 percent of the earnings from petroleum and mineral resources are dedicated to supporting the vital work of the churches, reaching out to communities and inspiring positive change.

Prime Minister James Marape said this initiative demonstrates the government's commitment to strengthening its partnership with the churches in Papua New Guinea.

The Prime Minister has been invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the forum to be held on Tuesday 17^th and 18^th October.

China's Belt and Road Initiative is a planned effort to connect Asia with Africa and Europe, fostering regional integration, trade expansion, and economic development. PNG’s participation in this initiative demonstrates its commitment for further collaboration in infrastructure development and trade.

Prime Minister Marape will engage in a series of meetings and events during his visit.

XCMG is a Chinese state-owned company that specialises in building machinery for export to the world.

Prime Minister Marape informed Vice President of XCMG, Hanson Liu that PNG has an independent and robust judiciary that would protect the company's investment interests in the country.

He said the Government, no matter who was in power, always honours contracts between investors and the State, ensuring they were free from undue political influences.

Speaking at the opening of the PNG-Asia Investment Conference, he told the over 400 attendees at the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel that PNG is stepping up to be “investor-friendly”, and is reforming its policies and legislation to encourage an environment that allows for investment.

“Amid – sometimes – the negativity that has been in the public space, it is a success story,” he stated.

In a meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties, PM Marape extended an invitation for Finnish businesses to explore investment opportunities in Papua New Guinea.

During the discussion, Prime Minister Marape emphasized the strategic position of Papua New Guinea as a gateway to the flourishing markets of Asia. He encouraged Finnish investments in key sectors such as Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Green Energy, Information Technology, Telecommunications, and Manufacturing.

PM Marape visits the People’s Republic of China from 16^th- 19^th October 2023.

Before embarking on his visit, Marape is set to deliver the keynote address at the Inaugural PNG-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong on October 16, then departs for Beijing on the same day.

His visit to Hong Kong on October 15 will commence with a bilateral meeting with John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, followed by a series of meetings with major Chinese and Asian Investors.

“In a world where the modern family of nations are coming together under the United Nations charter and rules on human rights, any issues we may have with each other must be resolved through peaceful means.

“Papua New Guinea has shown this since 2001 when we came together to sit at the table in the Bougainville Peace Process. We settled on a Peace Agreement and we are now working through this process to resolve our issues peacefully.

An irate Sir Peter Ipatas revealed that 130 seasonal workers from Enga have been reported stranded in Australia following discrepancies with the hiring agency and the expiry of their temporary work visas.

Ipatas said the plight of these workers came to his attention in March this year. He then sought help at LMU as these workers were sent to Australia through the government’s seasonal labour work arrangements.

He said laziness is a factor of high unemployment rate and law and order issues.

Marape made this comment at the Sponsors Night of the World Indigenous Business Forum on Wednesday 13^th September.

 “Ninety-seven percent of the land is owned by indigenous Papua New Guineans, how do we work to lead production, export, and connectivity in the region,” he said.

PM Marape said he was embarrassed during his recent visit to France when he witnessed the country’s huge access to market and their production sector being massive.  

Marape in a statement said the release of a statement last week about his meeting with the Indonesian President Joko Widodo was done without his consent and moved to correct what he termed as misinformation.

This he said is to alleviate concerns raised within Melanesian Solidarity Group (MSG) countries, West Papua, Indonesia, and the international community.