By DALCY LULUA
CHAIRMAN for Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Mr Virigini Badira says all SEZs in the country must be established and developed under the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) Act 2019.
He said SEZA Act is the only unified national framework for establishing, coordinating and developing SEZs.
“In 2019, the government under the leadership of Prime Minister James Marape, took a bold and decisive step to put in place the SEZA Act in Papua New Guinea under a unified national framework.
“The decision by the government was strategically taken to move PNG away from the heavy dependency on the extractive sector and develop promising sustainable alternatives to spur the economic growth of the country,” he said.
Badira said Section 2 of the SEZA Act 2019 establishes a single national framework for the coordinated establishment, development and the operation of multi-use SEZs in PNG under the Act.
“Section 2(b) of the SEZA Act empowers SEZA to be the single national developer and regulator for SEZs in PNG,” he said.
“Section 2 and the other enabling provision of the Act also empowers the SEZA to be the sole facilitator for creating, establishing, developing, operating, maintaining and promoting SEZs in PNG.”
“In terms of establishing various SEZs throughout the country by public and private developers, the SEZA Act is quite clear in section 16 (2) (c) in that, the authority has power to authorize and regulate the establishment of multi-use SEZ throughout the country in accordance with the SEZA Act.
“In recent times, the SEZA board has been gravely alarmed by the efforts of SEZ’s different stand –alone Acts of parliament without complying with the SEZA Act, and without the express authorization of SEZA.”
He said attempts in this regard have been through the private members bill process.
“The consequences for creating SEZ’s using different enabling acts of parliament contrary SEZA Act 2019, are dire and will certainly undermine the current efforts already underway by the national government to develop SEZ’s in the country.
“If anything, contrary legislation to the SEZA 2019 will kill the SEZ concept even before it takes traction and full development in the country.”
