The inaugural Special Economic Zone Summit or SEZ Summit hosted in Papua New Guinea ended successfully last Tuesday.
The three day event was led by the Ministry for Trade and International Trade and was opened by Prime Minister James Marape on Sunday (May 7, 2023).
Over 400 participants from government and private sectors, including international speakers and investors gathered to discuss the establishment of Special Economic Zones in the country.
Global experts shared their experiences with Special Economic Zones for local experts to learned from them.
Prime Minister James Marape in his key note address, welcomed all participants to the forum.
Furthermore, he said his government is committed to supporting Special Economic Zones, as a key driver of the Economy.
International Trade and Investment minister, Richard Maru in his opening remarks said the world has known the Special Economic Zone Concept for over 50 years.
For PNG, the SEZ concept started over 30 years ago, however some have failed.
Maru said despite the establishment of the Special Economic Zone Authority by the Marape government, there is no Policy.
The Minister further explained that the objective of the summit was to understand the definition of Special Economic Zones, and the types of Special Economic Zones.
“The second objective is to work towards understanding why we fail over the last 30 years by listening to the success of other countries,” Maru said.
Stalls and information booths of government agencies and stakeholders were set up during the summit.
The second day of the summit saw China and Philippines sharing their experiences of Special Economic Zones, including PNG SEZ experience and an update on Paga Hill Special Economic Zone.
Discussions on SEZ policy framework and masterplan were held on the final day of the summit.
Some enablers of SEZs discussed during the summit are: Policing for SEZ, Road Connectivity, Ports Solutions, Energy Solutions for SEZs and Application for SEZ Licenses.
International Trade and Investment minister Richard Maru expressed satisfaction saying the summit was successfully delivered.
“I want to close by thanking all of you again for coming, this is a start of a long journey,” The Minister said.
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