The Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) and the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) on Tuesday, 18 August, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Port Moresby to strengthen cooperation in developing sustainable tourism and attracting investment within Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the country.
The MOU was signed at the Kwalimu Haus. It will initially focus on the proposed Kokopo Tourism Zone in East New Britain, with the potential to extend the model to other tourism destinations in the country.
Related news: https://tvwan.com.pg/news/10901
PNGTPA Chief Executive Officer Eric Uvovo said the agreement was a significant step towards giving momentum to tourism development within the SEZ framework.
He said East New Britain was selected because it already attracts a significant number of business and leisure travellers and has strong tourism potential, including beaches, cultural experiences, and other natural attractions.
“This is a work in progress,” Mr. Uvovo said, adding that the partnership would involve SEZA, PNGTPA, the provincial government, local landowners and potential investors.
CEO Uvovo said the success of the initiative would depend on the cooperation of government agencies, provincial authorities, landowners, investors and other stakeholders.
A joint task force will be established to coordinate the implementation of the MOU and develop action plans to support tourism investment and development.
SEZA Chief Executive Officer, Kikila Yavase said tourism was “everyone’s business” and that SEZs could be used as a tool to help government agencies achieve their respective development objectives.
He said SEZA would work closely with PNGTPA to prepare investment packages and identify opportunities to attract more international tourists and tourism-related businesses to PNG.
Mr. Yavase said PNG had significant potential in markets such as China and Japan, but more work was needed to attract a greater share of international visitors.
He said the proposed East New Britain tourism SEZ was still at the proposal stage and had not yet been formally licensed or declared an SEZ.
Under the process, a private developer would eventually need to apply for an SEZ license and meet the required criteria before the area could be formally declared an SEZ.
The task force will assist in coordinating the process and identifying the infrastructure, investment and regulatory requirements needed to support the development.
Mr. Yavase said a feasibility study and cost-benefit analysis would also be undertaken to determine the infrastructure required, its cost, where it should be built and why it was necessary.
He said the findings would provide government with proper advice to ensure investment was directed towards the right locations and infrastructure.
The MOU also provides for strengthened One-Stop-Shop services, allowing relevant government agencies and stakeholders to coordinate their services for investors operating within SEZs.
The arrangement is expected to eventually integrate with existing government systems, including the Single Window System used in trade and customs processes.
Under the agreement, SEZA and PNGTPA will also cooperate on investment promotion, infrastructure development, policy and regulatory coordination, sustainable tourism, environmental compliance, destination marketing, research, capacity building and digital investment facilitation.
Both agencies expect the partnership to increase tourism investment, create employment and business opportunities for local communities, improve investor access to government services and strengthen the international competitiveness of PNG’s tourism destinations.
The development of the Kokopo Tourism Zone is expected to provide a model that could eventually be replicated in other parts of the country.
The two agencies will now work through the joint task force to develop an action plan and identify the next steps towards advancing sustainable tourism investment within PNG’s Special Economic Zones.