THE Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru announced today the participation of PNG at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan Next year.
The World Expo will start in next April and run for a period of six months with an estimation of 28.2 million visits during the expo.
A total of 150 countries and 25 international organizations are expected to participate.
Maru said PNG will not only have a pavilion at a shared pavilion at the World Expo but the government have made a very important decision for PNG to secure a commercial space outside of the Expo site to display and market its product and services.
Given only the digital exhibition will be allowed at the Expo site, the government has made an important decision to secure a commercial space with funding support of K3 million principle in the budget for next year to make this possible with the support of the private sector and State Owned Entity.
“We want to make a bigger impact at the Japanese market and in the world at this Expo so we will be leasing a commercial space outside the Expo Site at the Osaka Bay Area where we can display and sell our products and services and promote PNG as an exciting tourism and investment destination,” Maru said.
Minster Maru is now calling on to the provinces, districts, private sector and government agencies, including the SOEs and SMEs to have their own booth at the commercial space for an opportunity to market their products and services.
“Expo Secretariat is currently in negotiations with potential service providers in Osaka, to finalize the lease agreement for the six-month period,” he added.
“Once the lease is arranged, we will be calling a major consultative workshop to provide information to all our shareholders and potential participants on how they can secure their own booths and participate in the Expo next year.
“Obliviously, they will have to meet some costs to go and advertise and promote their goods and services at the Expo. The participants who would like to advertise and promote their goods and services at the Expo.
“The participants who would like to advertise digitally must start preparing now and must be willing to pay the fees.”
Maru said that the Expo is a great opportunity for PNG to market and promote its goods and services. It is also an opportunity to promote PNG in Japan which is a very close friend of PNG in terms of trade and economic relations in concerned.
Meanwhile, under the leadership of the Commissioner General for Section PNG, Ambassador Gabriel Dusava, the National Expo Secretariat is actively working with all key stake holders, including Government departments, Provincial Administrations, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and the private sector to ensure PNG’s successful presentation at the event.
The Expo secretariat, in collaboration with the private sector will establish a sub-committee in the coming weeks to further discuss the specifics of private sector participation.
