PRIME Minister Hon James Marape has given the green lights to Japanese think tank Japan Development Institute (JDI) to start work on developing a new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Master Plan for Papua New Guinea.
He gave the blessing following a meeting with JDI CEO and Chairman, Dr. Shoichi Kobayashi, in Port Moresby on October 27, 2022.
PM Marape said the establishment of SEZs would be factored into the 2023 Budget to get the ball rolling.
The meeting was also attended by International Trade and Investment Minister Hon. Richard Maru, PNG Ambassador to Japan H.E. Sam Abal and SEZ Authority Chairman Varigini Badira.
Dr Kobayashi’s visit follows an invitation by PM Marape during a meeting with him in Tokyo last month.
Dr Kobayashi and Ambassador Abal are in PNG this week to further discussions with the Government on progressing the SEZ concept.
They met with the SEZ authority and Minister Maru on Tuesday and visited the Rigo Rice Project in Central.
On Wednesday, they travelled to Madang to visit the PMIZ and overnighted there.
On Thursday, the team met with PM Marape in Port Moresby, and returned to Japan during the weekend.
PM Marape told Dr Kobayashi to work closely with Minister Maru on progressing the SEZ concept in PNG.
“I want to thank you on behalf of the country,” he told Dr Kobayashi.
“It is in our interest to progress the SEZ concept.”
The JDI is an independent think tank/consulting firm, specialised in international development. It was first established in 1982 as the World Consultant Service (WCS) and later changed its name as JDI after merging with the think tank of the Institution of Engineering Consulting Firms Association, Japan (ECFA) in 1997. With its distinguished experts from numerous disciplines and the network with its associate institutions and experts in the world, JDI provides a broad range of consulting services in the field of development, carries out practical studies, and proposes concrete projects and strategies.
Starting with industrial development in southern Thailand in 1978, JDI has dealt with 40 SEZ projects in 20 countries, to date.
