Japanese agency team arrives for special economic zone talks

CHAIRMAN and chief executive of the Japan Development Institute, Dr Shoichi Kobayashi and his team will arrive in the country today for a fact-finding mission on the development of special economic zones (SEZs) in the country.
The institute, an independent private think-tank firm based in Tokyo, was invited by Prime Minister James Marape to help PNG formulate a master plan on the development of SEZs.
International Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru said the master plan would be drawn up after they evaluated the commercial viability of the locations identified for SEZ development.
The 14 potential SEZs are: Pacific marine industrial zone (Madang), Vanimo free trade zone (Sandaun), Sepik Plains SEZ (East Sepik and West Sepik), Western SEZ, Baiyer agriculture zone (Western Highlands), Middle Ramu Industrial Zone (Madang), Central rice zone, Labu SEZ (Morobe), Nadzab SEZ (Morobe), Ihu SEZ (Gulf), Kokopo Tourism Zone (East New Britain), Manus special economic region, Nadzab Airport City SEZ (Morobe) and Tokua Airport City SEZ (East New Britain),
Bana SEZ (Arob) and the Gazelle Agro SEZ (East New Britain).
“The JDI had done this in many countries, and they know why SEZs have failed and why many have succeeded to create value in terms of job creation, bringing trillions in foreign investment and contributing to growing the economies of countries that have used SEZs to develop their economies,” Maru said.
“The last thing we want to do is to develop failed SEZs like many countries have done,” he said.
“We want to learn from them.”