Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration.

In my various acquaintances I have fond memories of Australia.

As minister for foreign affairs I am acutely aware of the importance of Papua New Guinea’s links with Australia, and as Minister for Trade, I value the contribution that our strong business links with Australia bring to Papua New Guinea.

Your forum is, as always, important to PNG. It provides your delegates with an insight into doing business in or with Papua New Guinea. It provides Papua New Guinea with similar insights but importantly it allows us both to honestly discuss not only what we are doing but most importantly what we can do better.

I don't overstate it when I say your deliberations will help shape, mould and guide the conduct of business in Papua New Guinea. Some 36 years ago Papua New Guinea became an independent nation. The world watched and many predicted failure.

Despite the pessimism there is much for Papua New Guinea to be proud about. We have a strong economy. We have proud and vibrant people. We are not blind to our challenges.

Importantly we are learning to confront them. Our dreams have not progressed perfectly - whose do?

Let me be blunt. Our short history has been scared by tribal warfare and ethnic clashes, shaken by the Bougainville conflict, damaged by the Asian economic crisis, betrayed by systematic and governance failures and shaken by the subjugation of women and children.

Yet the true test of a nation is not a recitation of its problems but rather how we work to overcome them. It is not perfection but how we work to improve. Importantly, it is not words but it is the value of our actions. Equally for those who would point to our problems I ask that you also recognize our achievements.

We have restored peace and normalcy to Bougainville by the creation of an Autonomous Region and by strong support from Building Capacity. We have reduced tribal and ethnic clashes by establishing the village court system. We have reformed our systems of governance and finances to improve service delivery and the well being of our citizens.

We’ve extended the boundaries of opportunity by providing free universal basic education for our children, while subsidizing the cost for upper grades in the schooling echelon. We have programs in the making to providing better health services and social security of our citizens.  We’ve laid down sound economic and fiscal growth fundamentals where our GDP is growing, foreign reserves are beefed up and currency fluctuations stabilised.

In my Foreign Affairs portfolio we established the PNG Immigration and Citizenship Service as an independent Statutory Authority separate from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

As minister, the Authority reports directly to me and has responsibility for progressing policy change and legislative reform in addition to day to day service delivery operations. 

As part of this process, I have directed the Acting Chief Migration Officer to undertake an urgent review of Migration Laws and Regulations to ensure that they facilitate rather that inhibit investment.

I am hopeful that we can conclude this review well before the end of the current year and enact new legislation.  I will ensure that the business community is consulted and kept informed of this important process. 

We are examining dual citizenship and actively promoting the APEC card for our national business leaders.

I am happy that after an exhaustive process we are about to finalize Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Policy Review. The new Foreign Policy will be aimed at “Engaging and Modernizing Strategic Partnerships”. The main features of the document will be human resource, expertise and skills development- to drive growth.

We have also initiated the process for developing a brand new Trade Policy for the country. The Trade Policy will articulate PNG’s position, drive and participation in trade liberalization, trade expansion, economic integration and green growth. Elsewhere, we have commenced the land reform programs to free up customary land for business. None of this progress happened by itself. It came about because ordinary people, men and women had faith that the vision of our elders would be realized and our imperfect dream could be perfected. 

Fundamentally, not just Business and Capitalism; but the way it is conducted will undoubtedly drive and catalyse positive change. Trade and investment, entrepreneurialism and innovation, diversification and intensification of investment and commerce, and the use of appropriate and modern technology will propel national progress.

No nation is truly progressive and prosperous unless wealth is created, but by all and benefited by all in a competitive manner.

A nation is as powerful as its economy, and its economy is as powerful as successful are its businesses. And businesses need the aggressive drive of entrepreneurial skill and expertise - that instinct and spirit of maximizing return for every penny of investment.

Our economy is also as powerful as its public service is efficient.The more we can improve our own service delivery the more business can achieve. Importantly, government recognizes that there is still much to be done. However, all these aspirations must be achieved on merit, based upon values and principles.  

So Mr. Chairman, whilst businesses exist to be profitable and will continue to maximize their return, the nation and business must be built on the principals of justice, democracy, good governance and human values.

For business the balance between profitability and human values is the manner in which business is conducted. Together we must strive to correct our mistakes and endeavour to set this country apart in our region. Through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams and business interest. But Business and Government must still work together for national progress and regional integration. 

Papua New Guinea is becoming a nation with a great divide between the rich and poor. That is something that we must address.

It is often said that national decline is the reward for those nations whose citizens that are idle and indifferent, or whose leaders or custodians that are thieves and robbers.

We are a proud people, a people of noble virtues. Our elders and ancestors taught us of hard work and sacrifice to earn a prosperous life through just means. They taught us to live a life of thrift, eat and feed our families through hard labour, through the sweat and blood of our hands. Yet, Papua New Guinea is a developing nation.

Like other developing nations we face the challenges of entering a modern world as we are still adapting our own standards, values and customs to that modern world. Yet there is enormous value in custom, above all the value that custom places on community.

We can take so much from the early Australian explorers, the Leahy brothers and Jim Taylor, surveyor Ken Spinks and patrol officers like John Black whose lives testify to the selflessness and dedication that led to the opening up of PNG’s hazardous interior. 

We find the same dedication and sacrifice in the lives of early missionaries who travelled from far and wide to a no man’s land called New Guinea. 

Those values and our custom are what this country was founded upon. They bring an obligation for today’s leaders – in government and in business. It is our turn to contribute to keep those values alive and strong.

In business it is an obligation to understand that as important as it is to be profitable you also have an obligation to help build the community in which your business operates, to help building our human resources through training and support.

I am not talking about some ideological paradigm but simply that in a developing world business has a responsibility to help our communities grow and develop. 

If businesses take on this responsibility it will be returned through customer loyalty.

In other words make social or community welfare issues important part of your budgets. Why? Because, it makes good business sense and the people will thank you through increasing customer and brand loyalty.

Let me talk about PNG business.

PNG’s grand vision and objectives will continue to remain a dream without innovation and creativity.  Albert Einstein’s famous definition of insanity will become our reality if we fail to take heed of research; science and technology that would aid PNG develop newer and better strategic approaches.

A new culture of business which is more scientific and technological, more adventurous and risk taking will facilitate mitigating the challenges of globalization. 

Development and promotion of small and medium scale enterprises (SMSEs) will pave the way for healthy business environment micro scale businesses and informal sectors ought to be given the opportunity to participate as equal players.

The SMSEs industry is the main artery for achieving sustainability in economy. 

A strong linkage between the SMSEs and major corporations – between local and international business - is vital and will add value to business and help provide the supply chain within the economy. 

The indigenous business component of the economy is crucial and it needs your support to expand. It provides the balance of a harmonious co-existence between foreign and domestic investments.  

Global warming leaves the world with no choices but to transit from a fossil fuel based economy to one that is clean energy driven. 

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) prioritizes green growth as a significant initiative amongst member countries.

That is not negative to our economy that thrives on the benefit of extractive industries but it is a timely reminder that even in the developing world we have a responsibility to our people to minimise our carbon footprint.

I have great faith in the competitive market place - in private enterprise. 

Competition and local partnerships present the best survival strategies for any business today. The impacts of globalization have changed so many things. Those that are happy with the complacent mediocrity of the past are more prone to fail.

Success comes to those that have embraced the future with multi-skilled development and adaptation and those who have become more competitive.

In Papua New Guinea, we are, by nature, survivors. We are competitors. Our tribal warriors used to compete through conflict and then traditional feasts. Our clans either merged or partnered for survival.

Some of you here today have partnered with Australians and Foreign Investments and vice versa.

Most of you have the competitive advantage, the competitive edge to survive and flourish.

My point is that the concept of the market is alive and well in PNG culture. Yes, there are some rough edges but we are a work in progress – much to be done  -  yet much to be proud of.

Worldwide, economies are integrating and expanding. Trade and investment is diversifying and intensifying. Barriers, both tariff and non-tariff is being addressed to lower the cost of doing business. Those are challenges that we all face.

Just as Papua New Guinea can no longer ignore the world - businesses operating in Papua New Guinea cannot ignore the fact that doing business in PNG brings social and corporate responsibilities.

I readily acknowledge that the government must lift its game.

I acknowledge that we must restore integrity and accountability to our disciplined forces and to the administration of government, but business cannot sit behind the veil of ‘fly in fly out’ or walled compounds and pretend that business does not have a role in building a bigger, better and more competitive Papua New Guinea.

Our problems are obviously your problems. Every step we take to improve our standards improves your bottom line. Simply put, together we can achieve great things for this nation.

As minister for trade, I want to hear your honest views and to identify how government and business can work together to build this remarkable nation.

Delegates together we owe it to the people of Papua New Guinea – and to our shareholders and in my case citizens – to offer them hope and a real vision for the future.

As a government we must offer that same vision and clarity of policy to investors in Papua New Guinea.

As business people you also must play a role. That means we all have to lift our game.

I am delighted to be here today and I look forward to hearing the outcome of your deliberations.

Your deliberations and the recommendations that emanate from this forum will guide government form some of the basis for the trade policy that I alluded to earlier. 

As always he gives his best as he fights for his health.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sir Michael and to his family.

A great Papua New Guinean and a cornerstone in our nation’s development.

Thank You.