PM Marape Calls on Australia To Import more from PNG to balance Trade

Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister, James Marape is calling on Australian businesses to consider importing more from Papua New Guinea to balance the disproportionate import-versus-export scale that exist between the two countries.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape

He also wants to see more Australian investors partner with PNG to move his Government’s goals on downstream processing and industrialization closer to realization. 

The Prime Minister said this as he apologized to the PNG-Australia Business Council for his non-attendance at its recently-concluded conference because of urgent work commitments.

In a statement, Mr. Marape says PNG wants to move now into industrialization by tapping into downstream processing of its natural resources. 

And, he is asking Australian companies to seriously partner PNG companies in the area of PNG building a stronger diversified economy, adding it is about time Australia buy more of PNG’s products.

While appreciating the sturdy relationship already existing between the two countries, the Prime Minister pointed out that new heights could be reached if Australia could push its trade and investment boundaries further by exploring these named options. 

He says with Australia as a place of export for PNG products, there is a huge trade imbalance where PNG import more and export less to Australia.

The Prime Minister says PNG wants to send its food, its energy, its finished forest products, and its human resources at all levels to Australia.

Mr. Marape says he is serious about downstream processing of PNG’s resources to make an economic leap for the country.

This includes creating a law-abiding and orderly country, finding cheap energy and using PNG’s bilateral relationships to secure markets for its products. 

Prime Minister Marape says it is about time PNG and Australia as close nations politically become even more closer by having Australian business buying PNG products and hiring PNG workforce.

NBC News / PNG Today

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