This PNG Economics website will be launched officially at the Australia PNG Business Forum in Cairns on 15 to 17 May 2016.

This Business Forum is the type of institutional linkages program vital for keeping the people to people links between our two countries. My view is that support for such programs should be the prime form of mutual assistance to PNG through the aid program (with investment, trade and other linkages also being vital). Reasons for such linkages are outlined in some detail in the following submission to an Australian parliamentary inquiry on Australia’s bilateral aid program to PNG by clicking here and public hearing here. This report was released recently – although as it is a Senate Report with a minority of government members, the key recommendations likely to be adopted are shown on pages 85 onwards as shown here.

The recent youth forum involving sharing success stories between young PNG and Australian entrepreneurs is also an excellent example of co-operation (see here).

Following the Business Forum, I will provide some posts on key conference presentations. As a heads up, it now appears quite certain that even the cut-back IFC loan proposal (see earlier post) will not proceed.