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If your business does business with Papua New Guinea, you can’t afford to miss this respected international event.

 

Program 2023

Find out what is happening and when

Our expertly-curated 2023 program focused on those sectors with the most growth potential in Papua New Guinea.

The final program of the 2023 Business Advantage Papua New Guinea Investment Conference.

To download presentations and other material from the conference, please visit the Delegates’ Area (password required).

Thursday 10 August 2023

9.00am  Welcome and opening remarks

 

9.10am  Official opening address
  • The Hon. Richard Maru, OBE, MP, Minister for International Trade and Investment, representing the Hon. James Marape MP, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea

 

9.30am  Keynote address: How the world economy is likely to reshape in coming years – and how it is likely to impact PNG This session kindly sponsored by Vodafone

One of Australia’s most experienced and respected financial journalists and commentators provides his personal take on how the world economy is likely to reshape in coming years – and how it is likely to impact PNG.

The owner, publisher and editor of The Constant Investor, Alan Kohler has been Editor of the Australian Financial Review and The Age and presented the ABC TV’s ‘Inside Business’.

In 2005, Alan launched the Eureka Report, a newsletter for self-directed investors, and in 2007 was the largest shareholder and CEO of Business Spectator. In 2012, both businesses were sold to News Corporation.

These days, Alan is best known as the finance presenter for ABC TV News.

 

10.15am  Economic update on Papua New Guinea  This session kindly sponsored by Nasfund

An up-to-the-minute briefing on the state of PNG’s economy and economic trends.

 

10.40am Morning tea.  Kindly sponsored by Credit Corporation

 

11.25am Papua New Guinea’s investment climate (Interactive panel). This session kindly sponsored by Trade Investment Queensland

A conference highlight, a panel of experts discusses the key features of PNG’s prevailing investment climate and identify the risks and the rewards. Topics to be covered include recent and planned regulatory changes, recent investment trends, and sectors where there are particular opportunities. Our experts:

 

12.10pm  PNG LNG, Papua LNG and beyond: PNG’s gas-led decade This session kindly sponsored by ExxonMobil PNG

With the TotalEnergies-led Papua LNG project now in its front end engineering and design (FEED) stage, this session will look at the next decade of planned investments in PNG’s gas sector, and the opportunities it will deliver to businesses of all sizes. Participants to include:

  • Tera Shandro, Chairperson and Managing Director, ExxonMobil PNG
  • Brett Darley, Executive Vice President – Eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea, Santos

 

12.50pm  Networking lunch. Kindly sponsored by KPMG

 

1.50pm  Keynote: Positioning PNG for energy transition investment

Now more than ever, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are front and centre of major investment decisions. KPMG’s Global Oil and Gas Lead Jonathan Peacock will outline the factors business leaders need to consider when planning their investments in the energy sector, and the opportunities.

 

2.15pm  Decarbonisation: what does it mean for PNG?

This session will look at how renewables are becoming a key part of the power generation mix in PNG. It will also consider the international factors that are placing greater pressure on businesses of all kinds to decarbonise.

Participants include:

 

2.35pm  Case study: Mining

The Ramu nickel and cobalt mine in PNG’s Madang Province recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. With both metals playing a key role in renewable energy technologies, there are significant prospects for further expansion.

 

2.50pm  [Investment climate] PNG’s central bank

The Bank of Papua New Guinea, PNG’s central bank, is undergoing a process of reform as a result of recent reviews. Acting Governor Elizabeth Genia will address the conference on the these reforms, on monetary policy and foreign exchange reform. Speaker:

 

3.10pm  [Investment climate] PNG’s capital markets

This session will take a closer look at plans to expand PNG’s capital markets by introducing a corporate bond market, real estate investment trusts and the encouragement of greater participation. Speaker:

 

3.25pm Afternoon break.

 

3.35pm  Investor insight: real estate development
  • Q&A with Rupert Bray, Managing Director, Steamships (Video presentation)

 

3.45pm  Papua New Guinea’s mining outlook: the MRA’s Jerry Garry in conversation

This question-and-answer session will provide an update on current and planned mining projects (including the reopening of Porgera and the planned Wafi-Golpu copper-gold project), and examine measures being taken to ramping up more exploration. Participant:

  • Jerry Garry, Managing Director, Mineral Resources Authority of PNG

 

4.10pm  Case study: Training
  • Susil Nelson-Kongoi, Chief Executive Officer, PNG Institute of Banking and Business Management

 

4.30pm  [Investment Climate] Improving international travel to PNG
  • Stanis Hulahau, Chief Migration Officer, Immigration and Citizenship Authority of PNG

 

5.00pm Networking drinks. Kindly sponsored by Hebou Constructions

 

6.30pm for 7.00pm Gala Dinner. Kindly sponsored by KPMG

Friday 11 August 2023

8.30am  Pacific Islands Business Breakfast Briefing  This session kindly sponsored by Datec

This quick-fire session will provide business updates on some of PNG’s closest neighbours. Participants will include:

 

9.30am  Keynote: Six things every business leader should know about PNG’s economy  This session kindly sponsored by PNGX Markets

Westpac Group Senior Economist Justin Smirk has been a closer watcher of PNG’s economy for many years. Here he provides his personal take on the key facts about PNG’s economy that business leaders need to understand, from foreign exchange to government finances.

 

9.50am  [Infrastructure] PNG’s State-owned enterprises  This session kindly sponsored by PNG Dataco

PNG’s state-owned enterprises, including its major utilities, play a key role in PNG’s economy and, increasingly, they are seeking private sector partnerships to deliver on their mission. Kumul Consolidated Holdings’ Managing Director David Kavanamur will identify some of the key State projects that are most suitable for private sector engagement and discuss the models that are already working in the country.

 

10.10am Case study: business services

Ultimax Security Services is part of the rising wave of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in PNG. Its MD will tell the story of how a pivot away from a planned career in graphic design resulted in a business that today employs over 250 employees.

 

10.25am Morning tea.  Kindly sponsored by Westpac

 

10.55am PNG’s innovation economy: digital government and beyond  This session kindly sponsored by Kacific Broadband Satellites

PNG government has embraced an ambitious project to completely overhaul government IT systems, with the goal of  dramatically improving the delivery of government services. The architect of PNG’s digital government strategy, Steven Matainaho, will outline the strategy and identify key areas where the private sector can get involved.

  • Steven Matainaho, Secretary, Department of Information and Communications Technology

 

11.15am Development finance from the United States

This session will outline the opportunities for the private sector to access US Government development finance in PNG. Particular reference will be made to successful financing models for solar mini-grids, part of US component of the PNG Electrification Partnership.

  • Geoffrey Tan, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, US International Development Finance Corporation

 

11.35am Case study: finance
  • Aho Baliki, Chief Executive Officer, Heduru Moni Ltd (trading as Moni Plus)

 

11.50am  [Infrastructure] Aviation

The CEO of national airline Air Niugini will outline details of the single largest investment in the airline’s history.

 

12.10am  PNG’s tourism development plan

PNG’s tourism sector is starting to rebound after COVID-19. The head of the peak body for the sector to outline the PNG government’s strategy to increase visitor numbers and encourage more investment.

 

12.45pm  Case study: agribusiness

Greater efforts in important replacement are under way to ensure PNG is able to feed itself. The larger opportunity, however, may be for the country to grow its exports to the Asia-Pacific region. Trukai CEO Alan Preston will talk about the significant efforts to supercharge PNG’s rice industry.

 

1.00pm–2.00pm Closing remarks and networking lunch. Kindly sponsored by Westpac.

* Invited