Farms in Papua New Guinea are vulnerable to natural disasters and other risks, and this suggests the need to insure agriculture. Index-linked agricultural insurance is currently available in many developing countries, such as Thailand, Mexico and the Philippines, as well as in many advanced economies like Japan and the US. Some insurers in PNG see potential in this type of coverage and could…
Although much of the focus of the energy sector remains on the upstream segment and its investments, Papua New Guinea’s downstream segment has been making waves over the past few years. Both the refining and retail segments have undergone significant changes as members of the old guard have bowed out and new, dynamic players have jumped into the market with high ambitions. Until very recently,…
Numerous opportunities in Papua New Guinea’s power sector, both in the public and private sector, hold substantial potential for companies willing to supply new generation capacity to a country still undersupplied in 2016. Currently, PNG operates around 580 MW of nameplate power capacity, serving only a small fraction of the population within three isolated grids. With limited capacity expansion…
With the afterglow of the successful implementation of Papua New Guinea’s first major liquefied natural gas (LNG) project now fading, attention has now being turned increasingly towards the next large pipeline project, Papua LNG. The most likely candidates are the Elk-Antelope fields within petroleum retention licence (PRL) 15 located in Gulf Province. Billed as the largest untapped gas fields…
The string of successful mines dotting Papua New Guinea, from the Panguna mine in Bougainville to Ok Tedi in the Western Province, has demonstrated many times over the substantial mineral potential lying just beneath the surface across the country. These proven success stories, which have rewarded the efforts of earlier pioneering mining operations, are now acting as a guide for the next generation…
In early 2016 a number of initiatives and transactions were in the works that promise to bring balance to a market that has so far been dominated by a single player. The plan is simple but bold: consolidation of the government’s companies operating in the retail space, and consolidation of its assets on the wholesale and infrastructure side of the business. If successful, these restructurings…
The telecoms sector has been growing rapidly in Papua New Guinea in recent years, with connectivity quickly spreading to the remotest parts of the country, and linking a diverse range of customers to each other and the outside world. While the growth of cellular coverage and the internet have been almost universally praised, the tech revolution also raises questions about the dangers of these…
Increased investments in ICT infrastructure are set to improve PNG’s internet capacity, extending coverage across the country and paving the way to roll out 4G LTE services. With low fixed-line internet and telephone penetration rates in 2015 – at 9.4% and 1.9%, respectively – connectivity in PNG is mainly being driven by mobile phone ownership, with penetration rates standing at 49%…
The economic targets of the country’s Development Strategic Plan (DSP), as well as upcoming international attention in the form of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in late 2016 and APEC in 2018, are calling for immediate and drastic improvements to the national road network’s coverage and quality. This growth is unlikely to be realised without improvements in two key areas: land and…
In Papua New Guinea, more than in many other countries, airplanes are a critical component of transport infrastructure for economic development. Port Moresby, for instance, is not linked to any other major centre by road, and access to some remote villages is only possible by air. The country therefore needs a healthy and efficient airline industry. Servicing this need are PNG’s two main…
