Tkatchenko: PNG ready to ‘prove the critics wrong’

By LUKE KAMA
THE Government is prepared and ready to deliver the Apec 2018 Leaders’ Summit next month despite criticisms, says Apec Minister Justin Tkatchenko.
“The most important thing is that we are now Apec ready,” he said.
“We will prove all our critics wrong.
“They can say what they like but that will not deter us one bit at all.
“We will make sure that this Apec meeting is a success for our country’s long-term future and long-term economic prosperity.”
Tkatchenko said PNG should use Apec as leverage to move the country to the next level.
“We have got a lot of work to do within the next four weeks,” he said.
“At the moment, we have finance ministers of the 21 different economies all here in the country with our deputy prime minister and treasurer (Charles Abel) and finance minister (James Marape) talking about how we can improve our economy now and into the future.
“We also have the foreign affairs’ ministers meeting coming up in the next two weeks. We will have all the foreign affairs ministers and trade ministers from all 21 economies here. From there, all world leaders will arrive. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our country.”