Speaking at the 2024 PNG Investment Week in Sydney this month, PNG Prime Minister James Marape reflected on the critical role the resources industry plays in ensuring the nation’s prosperity.
PNG has an unemployment rate around three per cent, but Marape – with the help of the mining and petroleum sectors – has his sights set on creating one million new jobs by 2030.
Critical to this goal are the employment opportunities afforded to PNG natives by the resources industry, as well ongoing training and development of the workforce.
“I would like to truly acknowledge the mining and petroleum sector of our country for tremendous work and contributions they have made through the five decades that we have come through as a nation, especially in terms of creating job opportunities and training programs,” Marape said.
“PNG is a growth country economically. My government has been working hard to diversify the economy.
“In the resource sector, there are also business and employment opportunities through spin-off businesses, apart from the actual project operations.”
The country’s blooming resources industry is also enticing foreign investment to further boost the economy.
Marape hinted that there are a few major resource projects progressing through negotiations, as well as more potential projects on the horizon.
In his own words: “The creation of more jobs can be confidently anticipated.”
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