PNG Boardroom: How to do business with Papua New Guinea’s major mining companies

Porgera, Ok Tedi and Lihir are two of Papua New Guinea’s largest mines, and two of the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Each spends millions every year on procurement.

But how do you sell your products and services to these major projects? What are their procurement managers looking for? How can your business get to the front of the queue? What are the challenges of supplying in PNG?

In this special online briefing for the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector, we get the answers from the miners themselves.

Our experts:

• Jonathan Parker (Manager – Supply and Business Services, Porgera Joint Venture/Barrick Niugini Ltd)
• Cameron McGregor (Manager for Supply, Ok Tedi Mining Limited)

This special online briefing was brought to you by Austrade, in partnership with Business Advantage PNG and METS industry association, Austmine.

PNG Boardroom: the outlook for business in Papua New Guinea in 2022

What is the outlook for business in PNG in this election year? Which sectors will drive economic growth and which will be negatively affected?

What changes are coming to PNG’s capital markets and the economy more generally? What factors will affect fuel supply and prices? What are the prospects for building and construction?

You can now view this special online “PNG Boardroom” briefing on the year ahead here.

Our participants:

• Hulala Tokome, Country Manager and Director at Puma Energy, PNG’s largest downstream petroleum company. Hulala is also Vice-President of the Business Council of PNG.
• Lars Mortensen, Managing Director at JMP Securities, investment advisers and one of PNG’s two licensed stockbrokers.
• George Constantinou, Managing Director of Hebou Constructions and CEO of Monier, The Constantinou Group of Companies

in conversation with Business Advantage International’s Publishing Director, Andrew Wilkins.

This briefing was kindly sponsored by Monier.

Papua New Guinea 2022 National Budget Update

This month’s 2022 National Budget is the Marape Government’s final budget before Papua New Guinea’s National Elections next year, and comes at a critical time in PNG’s economic cycle.

Did Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey managed to secure the funding to cover the government’s budget deficit? What new measures were introduced and what’s their likely impact on business? What does the budget tell us about PNG’s economic prospects?

Join our panel of experts for this special “PNG Boardroom” briefing.

Our participants:

• Kishti Sen (Pacific Economist, ANZ Bank)
• Douveri Henao, Executive Director, Business Council of PNG
• Paul Barker, Executive Director, Institute of National Affairs

in conversation with Business Advantage International Publishing Director, Andrew Wilkins.

This briefing is kindly sponsored by ANZ.

E-government, PNG government finances and support for SMEs

With the Digital Government Bill due in Parliament next month, we discover more about PNG’s move to digitise government services and what it will mean for business.

We assess the state of government finances in the light of the recent Final Budget Outcome (FBO) and ask how this will affect future government spending.

Finally, we look at a K20 million scheme giving grants to PNG and Pacific SMEs to help them adapt their businesses to COVID-19.

This month’s guests:

• Steven Matainaho, Secretary of PNG’s Department of Information and Communications Technology – the man leading the charge towards e-government.
• Abhimanyu Dadu, ADB Consultant – Public Finance Economist, Asian Development Bank. Abhimanyu works with the Macroeconomic Division of PNG’s Department of Treasury and was involved in the FBO production. [View Abhimanyu’s slides]
• Steve Knapp, Program Director, Business Link Pacific

This briefing is kindly sponsored by Kina Bank.

Value-adding, vaccines and bank lending

PNG’s Marape government has called more investment in value-adding and downstream-processing, as the country seeks to create jobs and add value to the commodities it produces.  This month, we discuss the challenges of achieving this goal with the CEO of Papua New Guinea’s Manufacturers Council, Chey Scovell.

Also this month, we discuss the progress of PNG’s vaccine rollout with Dr Ann Clark from Businesses 4 Health PNG. Ann will be giving advice on how to address vaccine hesitancy in the workplace.

Finally, in our ‘Inside View’ segment, we’ll hear from Kina Bank’s Executive General Manager Lending, Asi Nauna. Kina is one of PNG’s largest lenders, with a loan book of around K1.6 billion. What are lending conditions like right now in the country’s and what to potential businesses need to do to successfully borrow from PNG’s banks?

The Business Advantage/Westpac The PNG 100 CEO Survey

Every year for the past 10 years, we have asked PNG’s top companies these questions in our annual PNG 100 CEO Survey:

• How did PNG’s largest companies fare in 2020 and what are their profit expectations for 2021?
• What are their investment plans?
• Will they be hiring or firing this year?
• What are the major impediments they face, and what impact are these having on business confidence?

It’s time to share their answers with you.

Joining us to discuss the survey results were:

• Justin Smirk, Senior Economist, Westpac
• Brett Hooker, Managing Director, Westpac PNG
• John Byrne, President, Lae Chamber of Commerce

Our special guest was Tony Waters, Senior Sales Director for telecommunications provider, Speedcast, who outlined some of the new telecommunications technology available in PNG.

Papua New Guinea Telecommunications Update

The task of building Papua New Guinea’s National Transmission Network (NTN) – the country’s internet backbone – is a work-in-progress.

• How is the NTN progressing and what expansion can we expect this year?
• What are prospects for reduced prices and improved stability?
• What opportunities is the NTN opening up for businesses in PNG?
• What are the prospects for greater competition in PNG’s ICT sector?

In this online briefing, we get the bottom of these and other questions.

Our participants:

• Paul Komboi, Managing Director, PNG DataCo Ltd
• Dr Amanda Watson, Research Fellow, Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University. (Together with her University of PNG and Divine Word University colleagues, Dr Watson runs a rolling pricing survey on the cost of mobile data in PNG.)

This briefing sponsored by Speedcast

Papua New Guinea’s Energy Outlook for 2021

Nothing is more vital to Papua New Guinea’s economic future than a strong, reliable supply of energy.

While challenges undoubtedly remain, PNG’s energy sector is changing, with new investment in power generation, new energy sources, and new regulatory frameworks on their way.

Join our experts to discuss the outlook for the sector in 2021.

Our participants:

• Flagon Bekker, Managing Director, PNG Power Ltd
• Hulala Tokome, PNG Country Manager & Director, Puma Energy

Moderated by Andrew Wilkins, Publishing Director, Business Advantage International

This briefing is sponsored by Kina Bank

PNG’s Economic and Business Outlook for 2021

What are the prospects for PNG’s economy in 2021? Where will the growth be and what challenges will business face? Join our panel of experts for a critical and informed briefing. Brought to you by PNG’s leading business magazine.

Our participants:

• Ilyas Sarsenov (PNG Country Economist, The World Bank)
• Douveri Henao (Executive Director, Business Council of PNG)
• Paul Barker (Executive Director, PNG Institute of National Affairs)
• Cameron Mackellar (CEO, Brian Bell Group)

in conversation with Business Advantage International’s Publishing Director, Andrew Wilkins.

This briefing is kindly sponsored by KPMG.

PNG’s 2021 National Budget: a special online business briefing

The 2021 National Budget has now been passed by Papua New Guinea’s Parliament.

As the PNG Treasury’s Budget Strategy Paper suggests, this budget will play a critical role in returning PNG’s economy to positive growth in 2021 and managing larger government deficit and debt.

In this special online briefing, our panel of experts summarise the budget measures and share their informed views on its implications for business, the economy and taxation.

Our participants:

• Justin Smirk (Senior Economist, Westpac)
• Douveri Henao (Executive Director, Business Council of PNG
• Wayne Osterberg (Director – Advisory Services, KPMG PNG)
• Karen McEntee (Tax Partner, KPMG PNG)

in conversation with Business Advantage International Publishing Director, Andrew Wilkins.

This briefing sponsored by the new PNG 1000 Business Directory.

Adaptation, Innovation and Leadership: is your business ready for the new normal?

The COVD-19 pandemic has presented Papua New Guinea business with a unique set of challenges. Adapting to the niupela pasin, or ‘new normal’, will require all of us to adapt, innovate, and lead in new ways. In this special online briefing, the heads of three of PNG’s leading companies discuss how they are approaching this challenge in their own businesses and what the prospects for growth are for the year ahead.

Our speakers:

• James Rice, CEO, Paradise Foods
• Rupert Bray, CEO, Steamships
• Greg Pawson, CEO, Kina Bank

This free event is kindly sponsored by KPMG.

PNG Infrastructure Update

The PNG Government is looking to its international development partners to support its long-term plans for infrastructure development.

This hour-long online briefing with two major infrastructure investors reviews the progress of some of PNG’s major current infrastructure projects, and also outline the opportunities for future investment in PNG’s roads, power, ports, telecommunications and aviation.

Our speakers:

• David Hill, the Country Director of the largest international investor in PNG infrastructure, the Asian Development Bank
• Benedict David (Head) and Robert Jauncey (Chief Investment Officer) from the recently-established A$2 billion Australian Infrastructure Finance Facility for the Pacific

Kindly sponsored by Westpac PNG.

Economic update on Papua New Guinea

The world economy has changed vastly due to COVID-19 and Papua New Guinea has been affected too.

Our experts:

• Ilyas Sarsenov (the World Bank’s Country Economist for PNG)
• Scott Roger (PNG Mission Chief for the International Monetary Fund)

provide an update on the state of PNG’s economy and look at its prospects for the coming year.

Kindly sponsored by KPMG.

Ecommerce in PNG: it’s time!

Greater internet access, improved connectivity, and new online payment technology means it’s the time for Papua New Guinea business to get serious about ecommerce.

Business Advantage PNG‘s panel of experts discusses ecommerce models that work in PNG and the current and future technologies that will get you doing business online.

Speakers:

• Samson Korawali (PNG tech entrepreneur and founder of reelae.com)
• Belinda Manning (Head of Digital – Implementation and Performance, Bank South Pacific)
• Bosa Togs (Head of IT, Telikom PNG)

Kindly sponsored by KPMG.

Managing your business during PNG’s COVID-19 crises

Mahesh Patel (CEO of CPL Group) and Wayne Osterberg (KPMG PNG’s Director Advisory Services) look at the critical issues during Papua New Guinea’s state of emergency.

Kindly sponsored by Airways Hotel.