Prime Minister James Marape on 2 November commended Parliament for passing the Coffee Industry Bill 2025 by an overwhelming majority of 72–0 votes, describing it as a historic step towards revitalising Papua New Guinea’s agricultural base and empowering millions of rural households.
The Bill, introduced by Minister for Coffee William Bando, establishes the National Coffee Authority, creates a licensing and regulatory framework, and provides mechanisms to enhance market access, quality control, export management and research and extension support. It also repeals the existing Coffee Industry Corporation Act (1991), modernising the governance of the industry for the first time in more than three decades.
Prime Minister Marape praised Minister Bando for his leadership, stating: “Congratulations, Minister. You took on a greenfield ministry, built it from scratch and worked tirelessly to deliver this reform. No ministry is more important than another — we all have a duty to serve our people, and you have delivered in your space.”
He emphasised that the new structure is designed to support, not hinder, the growth of the coffee sector.
“This Bill replaces an outdated framework with one that embraces our national interest while allowing the industry to grow bigger and better. We are laying the foundation to engage a million Papua New Guineans in productive agriculture,” he said.
Highlighting his Government’s broader vision, Prime Minister Marape reaffirmed that job creation through agriculture remains central to PNG’s medium-term development goals.
“Our definition of jobs is not limited to the 8-to-4 office type. Real jobs in Papua New Guinea are created when our people work their land. If one million families earn K10,000 each from coffee, cocoa or oil palm, that’s K10 billion flowing into our economy every year — wealth created by our people themselves,” he said.
The Prime Minister also drew attention to vast global opportunities in the coffee market, which is currently valued at an estimated US$3 trillion.
“Coffee is grown only within the equatorial belt, and PNG has one of the best climates for it. When I met with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing recently, we agreed to open China’s markets to our agricultural products. China alone now has over 330 million regular coffee drinkers. If we focus on quality and production, we can supply China, Japan and South Korea — massive markets right at our doorstep,” he said.
Prime Minister Marape noted that the reform aligns with the Government’s commitment to link rural communities to the formal economy, improve access to finance and increase productivity.
“Next year, once customary land is properly registered, landowners can borrow from our national bank to finance agricultural ventures. This will enable families to expand coffee, cocoa, copra, oil palm and livestock production. Agriculture is the true path to sustainable wealth creation,” he said.
He further underscored the importance of integrity and transparency within the sector, warning against exploitation by unlicensed or non-producing exporters.
“Those who hold export licences but don’t grow coffee and keep their earnings overseas — this must stop. The money must come back to our country to benefit our people. This Bill gives us the framework to police and protect genuine growers and investors,” Prime Minister Marape stressed.
In closing, the Prime Minister urged all sides of Parliament to continue working together to strengthen the agricultural sector.
“This Bill is not to suppress anyone but to uplift everyone — farmers, investors and workers alike. And if any law we pass is not working, we can always revisit and improve it. The only laws that don’t change are the Ten Commandments. Everything else can evolve to serve our people better,” he said.
Once enacted, the Coffee Industry Bill 2025 will mark a major milestone in the Marape-Rosso Government’s economic empowerment agenda, setting the stage for renewed growth in PNG’s most widely cultivated cash crop and strengthening the nation’s position in the global coffee market.
