The Papua New Guinea Government will provide special assistance for Papua New Guinea-owned businesses to help them expand, Prime Minister James Marape says.
He said the Government would pursue “special quarantining of resources” with conditions for existing PNG businesses.
“This will apply to the ones that are paying their taxes faithfully. They are good corporate citizens,” he said.
He clarified that the Government was not discriminating against non-PNG businesses but would encompass PNG-based businesses that contributed to the economy through taxes.
“You can be a non-citizen but if you have paid your taxes well, and are a good corporate citizen, and have been with us for over 10 years, you are part of the economy. If you want to go the next mile, then we are here to support you.
“The next mile being to participate in our Government’s focus on downstream processing, tourism and the construction sector,” he said.
He said the Government would look into improving the tourism sector given the country’s rich cultures, wildlife and scenery.
“There are unique tourism products in this country.
“We are creating the enabling infrastructure, the small business support, and the secured environment which will unlock this potential in tourism.
“It is our intention to positively support those who are serious about going into tourism services,” he said.
Meanwhile, Marape said his government had rolled out the special economic zone (SEZ) concept to areas that needed a big push in development.
“The SEZ allows businesses to be built so that they provide employment and deliver important services and growth opportunities.”