Envoy: India ready to help PNG

By CLARISSA MOI
PAPUA New Guinea exports five times more to India than what India exports to PNG, according to India High Commissioner Inbasekar Sundaramamurthi.
“This means the balance of trade is in (PNG’s) favour,” he said.
Sundaramamurthi told The National on Saturday that the bilateral trade between India and PNG was around US$427 million (K1,471.13 million).
Export from India to PNG is around US$70 million (K241.168 million) and India’s import from PNG is around US$357 million (K1,229.96 million).
“But we are okay with that (trade) because as a country in the Pacific, PNG needs all the support.
“So we buy commodities, raw materials and minerals.
“We are also ready to transfer technology to you through agriculture.”
Sundaramamurthi explained that India “understand the sentiments because Prime Minister James Marape wants jobs to remain here and downstream processing to happen in the country”.
“So we are all ready to support that,” he said.
“In other countries, you have to move beyond just selling commodities.
“We are ready to buy commodities but we are also ready to teach you technology, and capacity building,” Sundaramamurthi said.
He said India’s exports to PNG included textile, machineries, food, pharmaceuticals and surgical items, and rubber.
But the exports from India arrive in PNG via China, Malaysia and even Australia.
“Which means cost becomes higher,” he said.
“We could avoid the middlemen.PNG exports to India nickel, copper, pearl, wood, wooden articles and cocoa.”