The Minister for Communication and Information Technology Timothy Masiu was in India on a bilateral engagement from July 25th to July 28th 2023.
In a media conference following his return he said the trip was necessary for PNG’s digital transformation agenda.
Masiu and his delegation met two key ministers in the India government - Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Dr. Rajkumar and the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
He said the India government has committed to increase the quota for ICT scholarship opportunities for Papua New Guineans, building a cyber-security hub and access to India’s satellite.
“The India government has also offered to assist in building a public payment gateway to support Papua New Guinea’s digital government agenda,” he said.
Masiu said the visit facilitated the exchange of valuable insights and fostered diplomatic ties.
“India is willing to assist PNG’s Digital transformation and with their experience as a leading country in ICT space. I am of the very strong view that we will go a long way in our ICT development,” he said.
The Minister added that several business houses in India have also indicated strong interest to pursue business investment opportunities in PNG.