PM: I think we did well

By HELEN TARAWA
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill confidently told the 21st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders in Da Nang, Vietnam last year that PNG would deliver and true to his words, PNG has delivered Apec 2018.
I recall O’Neill’s words at that Abac chief executive officers’ conference at Ariyana Hotel the morning of last Nov 9: “We may not be as big as Vietnam and may not have the technology that Da Nang offers for the 21 Apec economies but we will deliver.”
Vietnam didn’t need much preparation as it had hosted Apec once or twice before and it used existing infrastructure to facilitate the meetings. For PNG it took almost three years in terms of preparations for Apec Haus, road infrastructure and the hotels.
I joined four other media personnel from PNG to cover the Apec leader’s summit in Da Nang in November last year. Vietnam has all the facilities needed for accommodation; we had to build a new hotel and bring in three cruise ships to cater for the delegates and leaders.
Vietnam had a huge building that was turned into an international media centre (IMC), we used the Taurama Aquatic Centre as our IMC where the world media was reporting the Apec leaders’ meeting but the focus was on PNG.
PNG delivered Apec with support from partners, Australia, United States of America, New Zealand, China, Japan, Canada and many others.
In Da Nang the IMC was fully equipped with laptops, free Wi-Fi and all the amenities for the comfort of many journalists and their crew representing all mediums of communication.
Inside the IMC reporters from all over the world swarmed us wanting to interview all five of us because we were from the next host country for Apec
In the last few days at the IMC, history repeated itself with reporters from all over the world interviewing us on PNG the host country, our economy and a host of other issues.
Although PNG may be far from reaching this era of free internet, there is some heartwarming reassurance from the representatives of the Apec Business Advisory Council.
The PNG Government is working towards bringing the cost of internet down through the agreement on the fibre optic cable.
With small to medium enterprise (SME) on the agenda of the Apec Leaders’ Summit, PNG displayed the many entrepreneurs who were stationed at the International Convention Centre in Waigani.
Looking into our country from Vietnam PNG Abac officials said it was very evident that reliable, affordable broadband was a massive plus for the world economies.
Chairman of Apec Business Advisor Council Isikeli Taureka presented the gavel (small ceremonial mallet) to Chile, the host of Apec 2019.
O’Neill said emerging economies including PNG would continue to lobby support from larger Apec countries through inclusiveness, free and fair trade.
He said PNG was enabling investment opportunities in resources development as a result of being part of the Apec economies.
“PNG is honored to host the 2018 APEC summit in the country.
“APEC provides opportunities to create investments in countries like PNG in many sectors across the economy, particularly resource development which is creating a lot of jobs for our people and opening up many business opportunities,” he said.
Putting our hands up to host APEC was met with criticism from all sectors but that didn’t deter the Government from pushing on,” O’Neill said.
Among the many things that PNG can learn from the Vietnam experience is the small to medium enterprise (SME) concept which is already blossoming in the country.
Like in PNG, women in Vietnam dominate the SME markets. The two famous markets in De Nang city centres were Con and Han markets.
Apec Minister Justin Tkatchenko is a great advocate of SME markets and together with NCD Governor Powes Parkop they have started supporting SMEs by building markets in Port Moresby.
Tkatchenko said PNG would use the Vietnam experience and further develop the SME concept.
He said the new SME market at Six Mile with about 200 shops and offices would be leased to Papua New Guineans to make money and grow their businesses.
Tkatchenko said that could make a huge impact in this sector to support the economy and help make Papua New Guineans self-sufficient.
One of the reasons for Vietnam’s economic growth is SMEs. And they are very neat and tidy in the way they carry out their business so they do not leave a trace of rubbish behind, the most important lesson to learn.
We have set the ball rolling already in SMEs but we need to expand further and with good support from the Government and the corporate sector our mothers and youths can go a long way in growing their own economy and that of our nation.
The concept in Vietnam was introduced at Gordon, the market which was redeveloped with assistance from the New Zealand Government. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who was in Port Moresby for the Apec Leaders’ summit officially opened the market.
PNG was advantaged to have an Apec Haus. It was at this Apec Haus that the 21 leaders were to have concluded their retreat with a communiqué, which would be called Era Kone Declaration but that did not happen. It would be later signed and delivered by O’Neill.
“Hosting Apec had been a challenge but rewarding as well. I think we have done well so far and Papua New Guineans should be proud of it,” O’Neill said.