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DEPUTY Prime Minister Hon. John Rosso stated that Papua New Guinea can greatly benefit from Indonesia’s expertise in utilising its vast natural resources. He made this remark after leading a small PNG delegation to the PT Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park, which employs 80,000 people, on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.
The Weda Bay Industrial Area, located in Desa Lelilef, Kecamatan Weda, Halmahera Tengah Regency, Maluku Utara Province, is Indonesia’s first integrated industrial area designed to facilitate nickel-based mining and mineral processing.
Indonesia, PNG’s closest neighbor, is a rapidly growing economy and the largest in Southeast Asia. Classified as a newly-industrialised country, Indonesia is an upper-middle-income nation and a member of the G20. With a nominal GDP of US$1.371 trillion in 2023, Indonesia ranks as the 16th largest economy globally and seventh in terms of GDP (PPP).
The PNG delegation included International Trade and Investment Minister Hon. Richard Maru, Labor Minister Hon. Kessy Sawang, Madang Governor Hon. Ramsey Pariwa, Secretary for International Trade and Investment Jacinta Warakai-Manua, along with officials from Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd, the Mineral Resources Authority, and PNG Ambassador to Indonesia H.E. Simon Namis. The visit follows recent discussions between Indonesian President H.E. Joko Widodo and Prime Minister Hon. James Marape aimed at enhancing business relations between the two countries.
“It has been a very eye-opening experience for us. As you are well aware, my country has a lot of natural resources and a lot of opportunities. We are seeking strategic partners who can collaborate with us not only in developing our resources but also in advancing downstream processing and value addition. Our goal is to create more jobs and enhance the value of our exports by moving beyond the mere export of raw materials,” Deputy Prime Minister Rosso said during a meeting with PT Indonesia management after touring the project.
“Visiting Indonesia, learning from their experiences with their resources, and the partnerships in such operations, would be worthwhile having in our country. The value-adding, downstream processing, lowering of the carbon footprint, and many others, all work in favor of the future.
“The solutions that Indonesia and your organisation offer is a win-win for both parties. While Indonesia gains for its people, as seen by the amount of employment, the investor also gains with good profits. That is a good template for other countries to emulate, especially a country like mine which has, in my view, struggled to try to find the right template.”
Deputy Prime Minister Rosso extended a personal invitation to PT Indonesia to visit PNG. “You have my personal invitation to come and visit my country. I will be glad to take you around, as well as Minister Maru and Minister Sawang, and we can look at opportunities we might derive from the Indonesia experience,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to the Indonesian Government, led by President Widodo, and Indonesia’s Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Minister, Hon. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, for encouraging PNG to pursue downstream processing initiatives.
