PM: Key is tourism

By DOROTHY MARK
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says tourism will become a mainstay of the economy because the revenue from oil and gas the country depends on now “will not last forever”.
“We must build our tourism infrastructure today so that we can establish the tourism boom of tomorrow,” O’Neill said.
“Oil and gas revenue will not last forever. So we have to keep diversifying our economy for the decades to come.”
He last night opened a new wing of the Madang Resort, and called for more partnership between the public and private sectors.
“The Government cannot do this alone. We must work in partnership with the private sector,” he said.
“Together we will build the infrastructure, build the resorts and we will bring in the overseas flights.
“The tourism market that is open to places like Madang is very big and as an industry, we must think big.
“We must expand our domestic tourism market so that more Papua New Guineans can see more of our country.”
Tourism Minister Tobias Kulang had earlier urged the Government to invest more in the promotion of the tourism industry, like what other Pacific island nations were doing.
Fiji provides an equivalent of K40 million per year to the Fiji Visitors Bureau – and gets a return of K2 billion.
The annual budgets of Cook Islands and Vanuatu are an equivalent of K20 million while PNG only budgets K8 million to K10 million per year to the tourism sector – about 0.05 per cent of the total budget of K16 billion.
Kulang said only K5 million to K6 million was allocated for tourism marketing and promotion purposes.
Meanwhile, O’Neill said Madang would see more changes taking place “as we prepare to host Apec”.
“We are preparing a K150 million upgrade and resealing of Madang town roads which will benefit our people and businesses greatly,” he said.
“We will further have an expansion in the supply of power in Madang and we are doing this with private sector investment and partnership.
“The PMIZ will also continue to move forward and issues relating to the loan will be resolved.
“Thousands of people will be employed with new jobs on both the land and out at sea throughout this project.”