Country Profile
From The Report: Papua New Guinea 2017
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With an election in 2017, the year has proven be a challenging one in Papua New Guinea. The economic downturn following the completion of the PNG liquefied natural gas project has resulted in criticism of the current government, amid accusations of mismanagement. Despite this, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill secured a fourth term, winning 78% of the votes cast in his district. Boosting social and economic infrastructure, improving inclusiveness across the country and combating corruption – both real and perceived – are key challenges for political decision-makers. Yet, despite these difficulties, PNG possesses enormous natural resources, which future leaders must manage in order to boost growth and spur development.

This chapter contains an interview with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Natural wealth: Cash crops and extractive industries are fuelling growth
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Papua New Guinea comprises the eastern half of the largest tropical island on Earth, along with hundreds of smaller adjacent islands, combining to form less than 0.5% of the world’s total land area. Culturally, linguistically and environmentally diverse, PNG is considered a true frontier when it comes to economic diversity. There is ample space for development in general business and, more specifically, tourism. Currently, the country is an important exporter of natural resources, including…

Interview

Meeting our obligations: Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, on paving the way for dynamic growth and raising infrastructure standards
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Interview:Prime Minister Peter O’Neill What more needs to be done to insulate Papua New Guinea’s economy from external forces such as commodity prices and natural disasters? PRIME MINISTER PETER O’NEILL: PNG has been through many similar challenges in the past, and has come out of these in better shape than many other countries. This is because we have, to a certain degree, an insulated economy, meaning that Papua New Guineans are quite able to adjust to extreme global economic shocks…

Overview

Navigating challenges: Following elections in 2017, the country focuses on boosting development and implementing long-term plans
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With an election in 2017, the year is proving to be a challenging one in Papua New Guinea. The economic downturn following the completion of the PNG LNG project has resulted in criticism of the current government, amid accusations of mismanagement. Despite this, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill secured a fourth term in Parliament, winning 78% of the votes cast in his district. He was re-elected as prime minister in August by a vote of 60 to 46, and will stand his second five-year term in the…