Rosso calls for stronger US investment presence in PNG

Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso has urged the United States Government and American businesses to increase their investment footprint in PNG, saying current participation falls well short of the country’s potential.

Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Justin Tkatchenko (left front) in bilateral meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau/Photo Government Media

Speaking during an investment dialogue at the inaugural Pacific Investment, Security and Shared Prosperity Summit in Honolulu, Rosso said the number of US companies operating in PNG remained limited compared to other major economies.

Representing Prime Minister James Marape, Rosso told participants that only a handful of American firms had a visible presence in PNG.

“How many American companies are in Papua New Guinea?” he asked. “I can only think of two — ExxonMobil extracting oil and gas, and Newmont extracting gold.”

Rosso made the remarks during the Economic Priorities and Investment Pathways for the Pacific dialogue, where Pacific leaders discussed strategies to boost growth and strengthen regional cooperation.

He identified unreliable electricity supply as one of the biggest constraints to investment and economic expansion across PNG and the Pacific.

“Reliable and affordable power can transform industries,” Rosso said, noting tourism as one sector that would benefit directly. “Tourism is something PNG and most Pacific nations depend on, and reliable power creates spin-off businesses and jobs.”

He said consistent electricity would also support downstream processing in sectors such as fisheries and forestry, allowing countries to move beyond exporting raw materials.

“One factory could create up to 5,000 jobs,” Rosso said. “That may be small for the American economy, but for PNG and the Pacific, it would make a significant contribution to GDP growth and long-term development.”

The Deputy Prime Minister was accompanied to the two-day summit, held from February 23 to 24, by Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko. On the sidelines, the PNG delegation held bilateral meetings with senior officials including US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Australian Senator Nita Green.

Rosso described the discussions with US government and business representatives as constructive, saying Washington had shown a willingness to engage positively with PNG’s development and investment priorities.

“The meetings were warm and productive,” he said. “There is clear interest from the United States to be receptive and responsive to PNG’s bilateral agenda.”