Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says the World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) which will be hosted in October is a cost-effective way to promote Papua New Guinea (PNG) as a production country.
“APEC 2018 brought leaders; WIBF will bring actual practitioners of business. Don’t downplay the significance of this event. In fact, this is much bigger and better, and a most cost-effective way to promote our country as a production country and to promote network of buyers from other countries,” said Prime Minister Marape.
Prime Minister Marape said this in his keynote address at the Sponsors Night that was hosted by the Ministry of International Trade and Investment last night.
Prime Minister Marape thanked Hon. Kessy Sawang, then Vice Minister for International Trade and Investment and now Minister for Labour and Employment who was instrumental in securing Government support as the major sponsor of the WIBF 2023 to be hosted in PNG for the first time. Prime Minister Marape said WIBF will teach Papua New Guineans to be productive and innovative.
“Papua New Guineans have one of the best assets that any citizen on planet earth can have and that is land. 97 per cent of the land in PNG is owned by indigenous Papua New Guineans but we do not work that land to produce and export to the markets that we have. WIBF will be that moment where large indigenous businesses from around the world will come to the shores of Papua New Guinea and tell us that they are producing in their own places- not putting men to the moon but basic production business from resources available within reach. They will teach us not to wait for Government handouts but to be productive and innovative,” said Prime Minister Marape.
Prime Minister Marape after his keynote address launched a promotion video for the WIBF PNG 2023 which will be aired on EMTV and NBC TV stations starting today and leading up to the hosting of the event in October 24-26, 2023.
The Government of Papua New Guinea allocated K2 million as its contribution towards the event and NCD Governor, Hon. Powes Parkop announced last night that NCDC being the host city and the co-host of WIBF 2023 will support with K1 million. Sponsors who have come on board to support the event are Department of International Trade and Investment (K300, 000- Platinum Sponsorship), Special Economic Zone Authority (K300, 000- Platinum Sponsorship), TISA (K300, 000- Platinum), Santos (K300, 000- Platinum Sponsorship), Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (K300, 000), Trans Wonderland Limited (K250, 000- Gold Sponsorship), MRDC (K100, 000- Bronze Sponsorship), and Telikom (K100, 000- Bronze Sponsorship). More sponsors also pledged their support last night and these included Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited (K250, 000- Gold Sponsorship), OK Tedi Mine (K100, 000- Bronze Sponsorship), PNG National Gaming Control Board (K100, 000- Bronze Sponsorship), and the Australian High Commission to PNG pledged to sponsor a corporate box at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium during the Opening Ceremony at the cost of K50, 000.
“PNG wants to host the best WIBF ever hosted before. No other country in this journey that started 13 years ago have had their National Government to be host of the event. The Cabinet through Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape decided that our Government will be the host and I thank NCDC for being the co-host. This is an experience that no other countries in the world had seen. The State itself is the host which means we must lift the level of hosting to a world-class event. Without Governor Parkop and his Amazing Port Moresby Team coming on board this will not be possible,” said Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru.
“We have asked the organizers and the Chairlady of WIBF in Canada to invite the world media to come and we are even talking about jointly paying for them to come. That’s how far our planning for this event has gone. We want to use this event to not only promote business and connectivity, but we want to help reposition the image of PNG to the world. Through hosting this event we want to promote PNG as a country of many cultures, friendly people, full of investment opportunities, and a country that can also be responsible in providing food and energy to the world in the future,” said Minister Maru.
“It is also an important opportunity for our SMEs and even our landowner companies. We have so many success stories and we are hoping to share a couple of them to the world; we want to tell the world that we have indigenous companies and institutions that we have built on the strength of the generations before us and the generation today,” said Minister Maru.
