Papua New Guinea’s new Mining Minister, Hon. Wake Goi, was sworn in on September 25 at Government House in Port Moresby. Hon. Goi took over the role from Prime Minister James Marape, who had been filling in as mining chief.
Marape expressed confidence in Goi's experience and qualifications as the Member of Parliament for the Jimi electorate in Jiwaka Province and a member of the People’s Party of PNG.
Following his appointment, Goi visited the Mining Haus in Port Moresby, where he was officially welcomed by the Managing Director of the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), Jerry Garry, along with his management team, staff, and party executives.
Mr. Garry highlighted the integrity, maturity, and experience that Goi brings to the Ministry. He assured the Minister the MRA team has the expertise needed to support him in advancing the mining sector “to give you advice and appropriately position you and I, so that we can drive the industry forward.”
"The mining industry is the largest contributor to the national purse, but it is also one of the most challenging due to its complexities," Garry noted, giving the Minister an overview of the MRA and the mining sector, including exports revenue statistics and the challenges faced by the sector.
In addressing the MRA staff, Goi encouraged strong cooperation between his office and theirs.
“It is the government’s wish to see that the country gets a fair share from the exploitation of its resources, and at the same time ensure that investors get returns on investments,” he said.
Goi said he would provide the necessary political support and leadership to the MRA and the sector to ensure that all stakeholders are adequately serviced.
He encouraged strong cooperation between his office and the MRA to ensure the government's agenda of “Take Back PNG” is realized, in which the country receives a fair share from its resources while also allowing investors to see returns on their investments.
After the formalities, the Minister was given a tour of the country’s Mineral Production Data Monitoring Hub and Data Repository.
