Envoy: Team promoted PNG as a gold-producing nation

PAPUA New Guinea promoted the country, people and potential as a gold-producing nation at Dubai’s annual premier global gold convention on Sunday.
It was organised by IBMC International, a Dubai-based investment and match-making company.
A statement from the PNG Expo Secretariat said more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East attended.
Experts on finance, government policy, gold bullion trade and innovation shared ideas and new technological inventions at the roundtable.
The highlight was awarding of the global gold excellence award to PNG through ambassador Joshua Kalinoe.
PNG was allocated a slot in the panel discussions and played a promotional video on the country, people and culture.
Ten pavilion staff, including deputy commissioner-general Jacinta Warakai-Manua were invited.
Kalinoe said Papua New Guinea has been a gold exporter since the 1930s and was among the largest gold-producing countries.
PNG expects to maintain 1.5 million to 2 million ounces of gold annually up to 2030.
Kalinoe informed the convention that the country was a greenfield destination where potential for gold and other metal production, including copper, remains under-developed.
“Based on available official statistics, there are opportunities to invest in exploration and downstream processing in the PNG mining sector, either in partnership with the existing license holders or in new licenses,” he said.
“Full potential of gold, copper and other minerals, including in the small scale grassroots alluvial gold mining has not been fully realised.”