Overseas travels made easier, says Pato

THE Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority (ICSA) has played a leading role in facilitating travel for business, trade and investment, tourism and sports, Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Rimbink Pato says.
He said this in Parliament yesterday when tabling the 2014 and 2015 annual reports of ICSA as well as to give an update on the agency’s progress and achievements.
Pato said Cabinet in 2014 approved a visa-on-arrival list of eligible countries
“These innovations have all been welcomed by the general public and the travel industry at large,” he said.
“ICSA has also helped to make international travel easier for Papua New Guineans.
“Apart from Israel, reciprocal visa arrangements were concluded for diplomats and officials with Indonesia and Japan, in 2014 and 2015.
“The Indonesia government has now agreed in principle to extend this facilitation measure to ordinary citizens.
“ICSA is also negotiating for reciprocal visa arrangements with key countries and economies with common bilateral and mutual interests including Macau, Russia, China, India, South Korea and the Philippines.”