Thailand’s example worth following, says minister

THE Ministry of International Trade and Investment has embarked on fostering a relationship with Thailand for trade opportunities and to gain valuable knowledge and assistance on economic development, Minister Richard Maru says.
Maru and a delegation including Vice-Minister Kessy Sawang, International Trade and Investment Department acting secretary Jacinta Warakai-Manua, Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa, PNG ambassador to Malaysia Peter Vincent, were in Thailand recently.
“Our Government has embarked on establishing special economic zones around the country, attracting investors, both local and international, boosting imports and replacing exports.
One of the ways is to go and find investors who are world leaders in that space, bring them here to invest in Papua New Guinea, and help us with technology, capital, expertise, their global brands and markets, help us to produce goods in the country that we can export to the rest of the world,” Maru told a conference yesterday.
“My delegation marvelled at the sheer size and achievements of Thai industries to become world leaders and pacesetters in industries like fish processing, chicken processing, starch from cassava, rice and sugar.
They used to be third world nation producing agricultural raw materials like PNG is still doing 47 years after independence while Thailand has transformed to become a world leader in food processing and exports.
“Leading Thai companies expressed an interest in investing in PNG if we are able to provide land, electricity, good roads, wharves and all the enabling infrastructure and incentives to come and set up world class industries to mainly assist them to meet growing world demand for their quality products for Association of Southeast Asian Nations members like Indonesia, Australia and our own domestic market demand and the Indo-Pacific region.
“By building a strong trade and investment relationship with the Thailand government, its private sector, targeting potential investors and the people-to-people ties, the investors can help us develop our agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing into world class industries.”