Smare: It was the perfect time, place for conference

The National Business

 

By PETER ESILA in Hong Kong
PAPUA New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum president Anthony Smare says holding the PNG-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong provided a big opportunity for PNG to invite more Asian investors to the country.
“Hong Kong has the best of two worlds – it has the British system, independent, and has a system of rules that we understand,” he said.

City Pharmacy Limited founder Sir Mahesh Patel (left) with PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum President Anthony Smare during the PNG-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong on Monday.

“In Hong Kong, there is this vibe and optimism, there is a particular feeling you have when you walk around Hong Kong.
“I am delighted that we had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister James Marape and the International Trade and Investment Minister to come here.
“I also acknowledge all our investors from Asia and other part of the world operating in PNG and the trade links that we enjoy with Asia.
“We have TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Swire, MCC and others.”
The conference theme is “Partnership for prosperity”.

Pacific Trade Investment Office manager Cathy Chen (left) with ExxonMobil PNG Limited’s Melissa Fairi during the conference.

“This conference is long overdue due to our geographical positioning,” Smare said.
“Our trade links with Asia go back thousands of years.
“Anthropologists have documented migratory patterns of trade and networks of linkages of over 60,000 years between Asia and the inhabitants of New Guinea,
“In the early 1800s, with the first European occupation, for settlements of parts of PNG was
accompanied by a wave of Asian workers who founded the trade and commerce segment of our country.
“They helped developed our country, pre-Independence and post-Independence, through trade, commerce and employment evidenced by over 100 years of association with the PNG Chinese family.”
Smare said in more recent times, China had emerged as PNG’s biggest trade partner and the leading source of new investment, with over 20 years of investment, in the mining, infrastructure and logistics and other sectors.

British American Tobacco’s George Panao (left) with PNG Customs commissioner David Towe during the conference.

“We have great ingredients for success at this conference. We have a strong agenda, with a mix or operators and investors in PNG.
“We have a strong history or investment and trade between Asia and PNG but particularly between China and Hong Kong as the hub of Chinese investment in PNG.
“We have every support in Chinese and PNG Government, policies and activities to support this growth, as well as the engagements, policies and activities of other Asian governments to support those links with PNG.”