As of 2020 Papua New Guinea is in the process of significant tax reform following recent amendments to the country’s tax code. Among the most recent changes are those related to the taxation of extractive industries, while proposed reforms include the introduction of a capital gains tax and the rewriting of the Income Tax Act. National Budget The 2020 budget was the first to be issued by…
Viewpoint: Jonathan Seeto Although it is difficult to believe that anything good could come from a global pandemic, the current crisis and Papua New Guinea’s capacity to respond has acted as a wake-up call for the country to identify its priorities for the future. PNG has promising development prospects and an opportunity to dramatically improve social outcomes, but we may need to make fundamental…
The government of Papua New Guinea faces some challenges in 2020, with the electorate calling for improvements to social and economic infrastructure, and greater efforts to combat both real and perceived corruption. Despite these difficulties, PNG’s resource wealth and strategic location between the industrial centres of north-east Asia, the rising economies of the Association of South-east Asia
Papua New Guinea is in the process of significant changes following recent amendments to the tax code, which include new rules for the taxation of extractive industries, while proposed reforms include the introduction of a capital gains tax and the rewriting of the Income Tax Act. The 2020 budget is focused mainly on reforming the revenue administration system. It also includes a limited number of…
As of 2019 Papua New Guinea is in the second year of its Medium-Term Revenue Strategy 2018-22 (MTRS). The 2019 budget and tax changes are formed by the MTRS and aligned with its intent. The MTRS is, in turn, guided by the Alotau Accord II and the government’s 100-Day Plan. National Budget The 2019 budget introduced a number of new revenue measures that support the government’s efforts towards…
Viewpoint:Jonathan Seeto In 2018 the local business community was waiting with anticipation for a jump-start to the economy of Papua New Guinea. A handful of significant events were expected to turn a new page: the country was gearing up for a meeting of the leaders of APEC countries, a liquefied natural gas project was being finalised and new mining developments were at hand. These tangible…
This chapter examines the tax system of Papua New Guinea, focusing on those budget and tax changes guided by the Medium-Term Revenue Strategy 2018-22, including: new revenue measures under the 2019 National Budget; the Companies Act Requirement; the Investment Promotion Act; the rules on corporate taxation; withholding tax; non-resident insurers tax; overseas shippers tax; and tax credits, incentives…
Papua New Guinea has seen a mixed performance over the last 12 months, with the extractive industries recovering from the impact of the 2018 earthquake, while political uncertainty contributed to fluctuating investor confidence. It remains to be seen to what extent Prime Minister James Marape and his recently reshuffled government will enact far-reaching reforms to laws and regulations governing t
Papua New Guinea has remained resilient in the wake of a host of domestic and external challenges, and while growth has slowed since construction of PNG LNG ended, ongoing fiscal, structural and policy reforms should support domestic non-oil economic growth in 2018. PNG’s international profile received a boost when it was selected to host APEC 2018. Although the budgetary burden of APEC could be
Viewpoint:Jonathan Seeto, Territory Senior Partner In 2017 we predicted that the businesses of Papua New Guinea would be optimistic, despite the challenging year that lay ahead. Thinking about the coming period, we continue to be concerned with how the economy can deliver effectively for our society as we learn how to operate in an environment of fiscal management challenges and growing societal…