Baxter: Effective communication the way forward

FORMER policy adviser to the PNG government and current chairman of PNG Energy Developments Ltd, Ken Baxter, yesterday reminded participants at the 27th PNG-Australia business forum, that rigorous communication between all tiers of government was the stepping stone for advancement.
He said PNG, like other countries, had their own social, political and economical issues but the underlying theme was the high cost of living, lack of adequate social infrastructure and unfair benefits sharing by all concerned parties in the wealth distribution.
He said: “In a number of developed countries such as Australia, there is also the deeper seated threat to social and political stability of running a two-speed economy.
“With the massive minerals and energy developments in PNG, the signs of a two-speed economy are apparent.
“In many instances, they put severe strains on existing infrastructure.”
He said because of the neglect of past years, trying to catch up had proven costly and the time taken to plan and implement had been  longer.
Baxter said for any infrastructural investment, growth and maintenance, a good partnership was needed at the local, provincial and national levels.
He listed the basic demands needed for growth and stated that key departmental heads, private sector leaders and non-governmental organisations could only achieve serious growth if they worked on par with each other.
The forum, which attracted more than 300 participants, ended yesterday with more than 10 speakers giving overviews of their companies.
Meanwhile, a trade expo was also held during the opening of the forum .
Nineteen booths, mostly major sponsors of the event, showcased their products and services with students from Divine Word University, host of the forum, benefiting most.