Photo: Map of Papua New Guinea showing the potential Special Economic Zones
The Government will be advertising the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Special Economic Zones Authority in the new year, 2023. Minister for Trade and International Relations Richard Maru announced this last week.
Minister Maru said the position will be advertised globally as the government wants the best to develop the Special Economic Zones in the country.
"Early next year I will advertise the position of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Special Economic Zones Authority. We will advertise throughout the world to find the best possible candidate, we need someone who is vastly experienced and specialised in these areas as it is a new concept to us. We have so many young people that we need to train and mentor so we are going to go for the best in order to develop these Economic Zones because that is where our country's future lies".
The Government has identified 18 possible Special Economic Zones and these possible SEZs include Karamui in Chimbu, Manus, Morobe and the two Sepik provinces among others. A Special Economic Zone is an area of land set up to be developed for a business opportunity that produces a product that the people want, and this will create jobs & other opportunities. The country has been depending on gold and copper and other sectors of the extractive industries that have come and gone.
Meanwhile, the new Ministry for International Trade and Investment has engaged the Japanese Development Institute (JDI) to assist in assessing these possible Special Economic Zones and they are currently in the country.
Minister Maru said the experts from JDI have been doing the initial rounds throughout the country to assess and find potential SEZs.
"JDI have been doing this work around the world for the last 40 years, they know what will work and what may not work. They have also experienced which components in the Special Economic Zones that may prosper, and which might take time, so they are here to help us independently assess the potential of each SEZs and give recommendations from their assessment to present to cabinet and suggest which projects to be carried out first within these SEZs" Maru said.
Minister Maru concluded that these Special Economic Zones will be the greatest economic growth drivers in the country when they are in progress.
