PNG Resource Projects Should Deliver More to Citizens, Tovebae Says

Porgera Mine PNG

PANGU Pati has defended the Marape-Rosso Government’s handling of PNG’s resource sector, pointing to the K2.1 billion generated by New Porgera Limited during the first half of 2026 as an example of what it says can be achieved through stronger negotiations.

Party general secretary Morris Tovebae said the latest New Porgera figures showed that PNG and its resource owners could secure greater benefits when the Government insisted on better terms rather than accepting arrangements that offered limited returns.

The K2.1 billion contribution, announced on August 16, came through dividends, taxes and royalties and followed similar economic returns from the project in 2025.

Mr Tovebae said the outcome was the result of negotiations that had taken considerable time and faced several obstacles.

“Negotiations took time and there were challenges along the way, but the difficulties were temporary,” he said.

He said the final outcome was more important than the difficulties encountered during the negotiations.

“What matters is that we have secured a better future for PNG and our resource owners.”

Mr Tovebae said lessons from New Porgera should be applied to other large-scale resource projects, particularly Papua LNG, which remains under negotiation.

He said PNG should be prepared to take additional time where necessary to protect the national interest and increase the benefits flowing to the country.

“The New Porgera results should set the pace for other major resource projects currently under negotiation, including Papua LNG,” he said.

“Delays should not be feared when they are necessary to secure a better outcome for Papua New Guinea.”

Mr Tovebae said PANGU wanted resource development to provide lasting economic opportunities rather than short-term gains.

He also defended the Government’s wider economic record, saying the past seven years had included several major challenges that needed to be considered when judging its performance.

According to Mr Tovebae, the Government inherited difficult fiscal and foreign-exchange conditions in 2019 before dealing with the effects of COVID-19, global inflation and other economic shocks.

He said economic growth had continued despite those pressures, while reforms had been introduced to improve public finances and foreign-exchange conditions.

The World Bank’s 5.6 per cent economic growth figure for 2025 was cited as evidence of the country’s economic performance, while the IMF was credited with recognising progress in fiscal consolidation, foreign-exchange reforms and public-finance management.

Mr Tovebae also pointed to Connect PNG, Free Education and HELP as programmes that had expanded infrastructure links and education opportunities across the country.

However, he admitted the Government still faced unresolved challenges.

“But there is unfinished business still,” he said.

“That is the party’s honest assessment.”

Mr Tovebae said PANGU would not present the Government as having completed all of its work, while also rejecting criticism that the administration had achieved nothing since taking office.

“The Marape-Rosso Government will not claim that everything has been achieved. But neither should its critics claim that seven years have produced nothing,” stated Mr Tovebae.