The government has officially launched the 2nd Papua New Guinea Special Economic Zones Summit that will be hosted at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby from 31 August to 3 September 2025.
“This summit will be like no other. It will be the most useful and productive in our nation’s history. It will redirect the course of our nation,” Hon. Richard Maru, the Minister for International Trade and Investment, said during the launch of the Summit at Apec Haus on 2 June in Port Moresby.
During the launch, the seven anchor sponsors pledged their support for the 2nd PNG SEZ Summit --Teachers Savings and Loan Society (TISA), Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited, Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited, Paga Hill Estate, Air Niugini, Special Economic Zone Authority, and the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.
Minister Maru thanked the foundation sponsors for coming on board to support the Summit as Gold Sponsors at the cost of K200,000 each.
The 2nd PNG SEZ Summit will be hosted by the Movement as part of the Celebrations, under the theme "Reflecting on Our Past 50 Years and Charting the Next 50 Years.” This will be preceded by the launch of the PNG SEZ Foundation Policy on Sunday, 15 June 2025.
Hon. Maru said the Summit will let PNG “take stock of our journey in the last 50 years in terms of economic development to know, why we are where we are now.”
“Why do we have problems like THE highest unemployment, highest law-and-order problems, serious foreign currency issues, national debt of over K60 billion, and depreciating Kina value? The biggest single issue is that we have failed to grow our economy over the last 50 years,” he said.
“This is glaringly obvious when you compare us to other countries like Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines, who are smaller than us in terms of land size and have no resource endowments like us yet on average their economies are ten times bigger than ours.”
“Singapore went from a mangrove fishing nation to now a first world economy in 30 years with a GDP of over US$501 billion, and Japan went from a war-ravaged nation to now a robust economy with its GDP sitting at over US$4 trillion.”
“We must learn from them and deploy the right strategies and policies. We will do an honest comprehensive review of our economic performance over last 50 years during this Summit so we can re-strategize in terms of our core economic policies to take PNG out of the situation that we are now in and to secure economic independence. This is in line with the 20-year roadmap that is being put together as announced by the Prime Minister,” he added.
Minister Maru said that since the first SEZ Summit in May 2023, the government has engaged with regional and global stakeholders -- SEZ developers, operators, and users -- to refine the policy framework.
"We are now ready to launch the SEZ Foundation Policy and to have SEZ Summit 2. The long-standing support of the anchor sponsors assisted us to get this agenda of the current Marape-Rosso Government being promoted throughout Papua New Guinea and particularly in the Asia and Pacific region,” he said.
While acknowledging that the population has grown fivefold, from 2 million to 10 million, Maru said the economy has not kept pace.
“Symptoms like unemployment, law and order issues, and foreign exchange shortages are the result of our failure to build a robust economy. We can’t keep doing things the same way and expect different results,” he said.
The summit will bring together global and local experts to analyze PNG’s economic trajectory and compare it with better-performing nations, including Singapore, Indonesia, and post-genocide African economies.
The summit will also serve as a forum to develop the nation’s next 20-year economic development plan, a process currently chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Charles Abel.
Key Themes and Aspirations
Speakers from various countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Rwanda, and others will also be invited to talk about their economic success and the key strategies they deployed like using SEZs as the main driver for massive economic growth.
Representatives from some world-class SEZs like Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate in Indonesia and financiers like the International Finance Corporation, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and local banks like the TISA Group are also invited to speak.
"We will also speak on our six SEZs which will be licensed this year, including Sepik Plains SEZ, Madang Integrated SEZ, Finschhafen Integrated SEZ, Used Lead-Acid Battery recycling plant SEZ in Central Province, Sea Park SEZ, and the Central Province Industrial Park, apart from Paga Hill SEZ, which is already licensed," said Minister Maru
"We will also market investment opportunities in sectors like fisheries, forestry, manufacturing, hydro and solar energy, mining and petroleum projects, and more to the investors from around the world who will be invited to attend the Summit," added the minister.
Maru also mentioned the introduction of a new investment fund, the marketing of high-impact investment opportunities in energy, mining, and infrastructure, and the promotion of downstream processing and industrialization to create thousands of jobs as topics for the Summit, which is now being finalized.
"Meanwhile, we are seeking sponsors to sponsor this very important Summit. We will only have one level of sponsorship and that is Gold Sponsorship at the cost of K200,000,” he said.
“Every sponsor will be given an opportunity to speak at the Summit, they will be recognized in all our promotional materials, they will be given priority to set up their booths to promote their goods and services, and five of their representatives will have unlimited access to the Summit as delegates."
Sponsors Assure Support
The summit’s anchor sponsors echoed the urgency and potential highlighted by Minister Maru.
Paga Hill Development Estate CEO, Gudmundur Fridriksson, spoke of the importance of providing incentives to attract global investors.
“We are competing in a global environment. We have shortcomings, but we also have a beautiful country with more potential than any country on the planet,” he said.
He praised the 2023 summit for fostering relationships and learning, and expressed confidence in the added structure and readiness of the upcoming summit.
Fridriksson acknowledged the importance of transparency, diligence, and adherence to customs and SEZ regulations, saying this summit would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase PNG to the world.
Air Niugini CEO, Mr. Garry Seddon, thanked the Ministry for International Trade and Investment for driving forward the SEZ agenda
“This is a terrific initiative to promote this beautiful country of ours – our resources, our people, and our culture,” he said, assuring full support from Air Niugini across its international and domestic network to bring speakers and participants to the summit.
He also announced the arrival of new aircraft that will significantly boost PNG’s air transport capacity.
“Our new narrow-body Airbus A220s arrive in September this year, and our wide-body Boeing 787s in late 2027. These aircraft will revolutionize service delivery and raise PNG’s global profile.”
He closed his remarks by reaffirming Air Niugini’s support and celebrating the collaborative spirit behind the summit.
“On behalf of the 2,000 men and women at Air Niugini, congratulations Minister, and we look forward to a fantastic summit later this year.”
Managing Director of Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL), Mr. Wapu Sonk, congratulated the Ministry for the progress made since its inception and the first summit in 2023.
“It takes a lot of time to start from scratch… and all the consultations that went through were challenging, so congratulations,” he said, noting that his company had been a major sponsor since the ministry’s establishment and had backed both the first and second summits.
“We intend to be a major sponsor to help launch this very important policy and also advertise Papua New Guinea's potential to the rest of the world through the Approved Economic Zones (ACZ),” he added.
Sonk explained KPHL’s involvement by highlighting the country’s resource potential and the need for external investment and expertise.
“We have the resources and the people to train and skill, but we don’t have the money and the skilled people. National Executive Council is one of the key areas and, as a national oil company, we are at the forefront of providing NEC solutions,” he said.
Sonk announced cabinet approval of KPHL’s Konebada Industrial Park SEZ as the third officially approved site, which will house a training and prefabrication facility.
“We are working with all our SOEs to bring in power, sewage, and water. It will basically demonstrate, at a smaller scale, what the country can provide if we put our heads together and attract investors. The goal is to create jobs and grow the middle class so our economy can sustain and grow.”
Meanwhile, CEO of TISAS Bank, Michael Koisen, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to nation-building and economic development.
“We are a 100% locally owned bank. It’s owned by ordinary people. That’s why it’s in our interest to contribute to national development through all the opportunities given to us,” the CEO said.
He described the SEZ Summit as a critical platform for stakeholders and businesses to engage in development discussions, while thanking Minister Richard Maru and other co-sponsors for their efforts.
“We are happy to be a co-sponsor. Thank you also to the other co-sponsors for supporting this event.”
Mr Kikila Yavase, CEO of the Special Economic Zone Authority, offered his appreciation as both a representative of the ministry and a co-sponsor.
“Thank you to the Minister, Secretary, and my colleagues. For the last 50 years, we were convinced our raw materials wouldn’t be processed in PNG. For example, we were convinced rice wouldn’t grow in PNG.”
“After the 16th of September, we must have a story. That story must come through a specific regional process or concept, and everyone, including government and private sector, must work together for the next 50 years,” he said.
Yavase affirmed the SEZ Authority’s commitment to the government’s SEZ strategy and its role in supporting the summit and associated policy initiatives.
“We will go all out to support the Ministry and Department. We must leave a story for the next three to four generations through this concept.”
The Department of National Planning and Monitoring Secretary, Mr. Koney Samual, and Kumul Minerals Holdings Ltd Managing Director, Sarimu Kanu, also reaffirmed their support and applauded the initiative.
The launch of the SEZ Foundation Policy and the announcement of SEZ Summit 2 signify a critical turning point for PNG aimed at realigning the country’s economic direction for the next 50 years, Minister Maru said.
“It’s time to take that honest stock-take. Let’s be brutally blunt with ourselves. Let’s help ourselves and learn from the rest of the world and take the appropriate actions to build a stronger and bigger economy for our people,” he said.
"We look forward to hosting a successful Summit with the backing of our sponsors, starting with our seven foundation sponsors.”
The official website for the Summit (https://pngsezsummit2025) was also launched on 2 June, with Minister Maru calling on those who wish to attend to register through the site to secure their spaces at the earliest, with only 350 spaces available. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
