Photo credit: PM James Marape News Page - PNG Tourism Promotion Authority CEO Eric Mossman Uvovo, Tourism Minister Hon. Isi Henry Leonard, TPA Chairman Hon. Kennedy Wenge and PM Marape with children representing the four regions of the country at launching of the PNG Tourism Sector Development Plan 2022-2026 in Port Moresby.
Prime Minister James Marape has pledged his government's complete support for the tourist industry, including in the 2022 Budget.
He offered this guarantee in Port Moresby recently at the introduction of the Tourist Promotion Authority's PNG tourism sector growth plan 2022-2026.
Tourism Arts and Culture Minister Isi Henry Leonard, TPA chairman Kennedy Wenge, and TPA chief executive officer Eric Uvovo were also present alongside Marape.
Tourism, agriculture, sustainable forestry, sustainable fisheries, and downstream processing would all be priorities for Marape's government, according to him.
“The next 10 years will see huge activity in various interventions we will do for our country,” he said.
“What we are projecting in the next 10 years is a K200 billion economy.”
Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey will announce in the 2022 Budget that the PNG economy will surpass K100 billion next year, according to Marape.
“We are working with the Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Bank in restructuring our economy, refocusing our economy, putting our economy in the right place,” he said.
“We are doing things in tough times, and tough times allow us to look at our priorities and lesser priorities. I am here to tell you that tourism, just like agriculture, can be engaged in by every person in the villages.”
Marape urged everyone in the country to embrace tourism as their own.
“Our citizens can contribute in a big way to tourism,” he said.
“Generally, in our country, you find very caring and friendly people. Tourists who come here go back with fond memories of our country.”
He said that his administration was encouraging everyone in the country, particularly youngsters, to participate in economic pursuits such as tourism.
“That is why we have made this deliberate intervention to put money in banks so that you can do a start-up somewhere,” he said.
Reference: Post-Courier (15 November 2021). “Marape Assures Tourism Sector Of Govt Support”.
