By SEPKOLIN WALNE
THE Special Economic Zones Authorities (SEZA) and the Immigration and Citizenship Services Authorities (ICSA) has formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last week Friday to strengthen institutional cooperation through structured information sharing and administrative coordination in support of Papua New Guinea’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
The MoU establishes a formal framework for collaboration between the two agencies, focused on the lawful exchange of non-confidential information and improved coordination at an institutional level to support trade, investment and immigration-related administration.
SEZA Acting Chief Executive Officer Kikila Yavase emphasized on the partnership stating the key areas of the cooperation.
Mr. Yavase stressed that under the MoU, SEZA and ICSA will
collaborate within their respective legal mandates on lawful exchange of non-confidential, non-case specific information, administrative coordination through designated liaison officers, sharing of general data relating to SEZ investment activities and migration trends, joint awareness programs and stakeholders briefing on respective roles and processes and improving consistency and accessibility of publicly available regulatory information.
“All cooperation will occur strictly at an institutional level and will not involve the processing, assessment, or determination of individual immigration cases.
“Accurate and timely information sharing between agencies is essential to maintaining a well-coordinated and investor-friendly environment,” Mr. Yavase said.
SEZA Board Chairman Dr Lawrence Sause explained the objectives on the signing of the MoU with the ICSA.
“It is to collaborate, greater cooperation, and working together to speed up and process mobility of people who come to this country, in this context will be investors that work within the SEZ space.
“All of it is really collaborating and working across government, in this case of two agencies.
“At the end of the day is to speed up the process to permits of visas of people coming who are coming to this county,” Dr Sause said.
ICSA Chief Migration Officer officer Wellington Navasivu acknowledged SEZA for reaching out to sign the MoU.
“We’ve had other MoU’s that have been shared, drafts that are still on going after three years but this one is one of the fasters I can remember.
“Any investment that comes to our country it must be done with the greatest respect of our laws and that is our primary goal,” Mr. Navasivu said.