News and Public Notices

Mr Speaker, in 2023, we went through tough times to achieve many key priorities, due to the financial constraints and many challenges that continue to undermine our efforts. These are the inevitable challenges we embrace to commit our efforts as a region towards attaining the final destination of self-determination that we all desired for between 2025 - 2027.

In spite of these challenges, we have achieved so much politically, legislatively and administratively. The list of achievements is impressive and i would like to convey my sincerest words of appreciation to all our parliamentarians for your partnership in this journey.

By the same token, we must also acknowledge the support of our committed public service, particularly the senior executive and the rank and file. They have demonstrated that despite the tough challenges faced in 2023, through resilience, perseverance, commitment and great teamwork, we all can achieved so much.

The launching of the Bougainville Long Term Vision 2052 and the Bougainville Integrated Strategic Development Plan 2023-2027 (BISDP), to be complemented with the 2024 constitution, and an economic development plan, these policy documents and the piece of legislation will be our guide on what and how we can grow our economy, social institutions, infrastructures, law & order and community governments more efficiently and effectively.

I am confident that the foundations have been set and we will continue to implement them this year (2024).

How economic sector will contribute towards the Vision 2052 and the BISDP.

Mr. Speaker, allow me time to provide a brief on what my Ministry and the Department of Commerce, Trade, Industry & Economic Development has done in 2023 and early 2024 to lay the foundation for our economic growth and what we will do this year and beyond to take these further. 

Preparations of relevant policies and legislations that will regulate and ensure full compliance to industry and international standards, are well and truly underway. A number of examples of these are Bougainville Energy Policy, small scale mining policy, land act and regulations, companies act, commercial laws, fisheries act, and state-owned enterprises policy.

Mr Speaker, I will now provide an overview of what the department is undertaking on the policy, legislation and implementation front as follows:

Labour Mobility Program - Mr Speaker, I am happy to announce that about 61 Bougainvilleans are now working in the agriculture and meat processing sectors in Australia under the Pacific Labour Mobility scheme. This has great potential to upskill our people, and remit revenue back into Bougainville, as a revenue generation scheme for the nation. The program with the current 61 people will inject about K3million+ into the Bougainville economy. I express my sincere gratitude to the Australian government on this assistance to the region, and the Bougainville Regional Member’s office for the financial support in 2023 and this year to make this program successful.

Capital Insurance Group Limited - Mr Speaker, I signed the MoU for Capital Insurance last year to provide the insurance service after 30 years of insurance absence in the region. My department and ministry, in collaboration with the Capital Insurance Ltd on Wednesday this week formally launched the Capital Insurance Branch in Buka. It is a milestone for ABG and people of Bougainville to finally have insurance service

Tourism work - Mr Speaker, through my Department and Ministry, in collaboration with the Department of Community Development, I have established an office for the Bougainville Arts, Culture and Tourism Authority. Through the Bougainville Partnership under the Australian Government we have began developing the Numa Numa Track which is same as that of Kokoda track in PNG. Let me inform the House that consultations has already commenced with the respective stakeholders in Wakunai district. I thank our people for working with my department on this sustainable development initiative. We stand committed to developing Bougainville’s potential as a preferred tourist destination.

Small medium enterprise -  My Department continues to provide financial literacy training to SMEs and cooperatives in the region. This is done in collaboration with the National Department of Commerce and Industry as per the signed MoU. In November 2023, my Department and the National Department issue certificates in basic book keeping to 104 SME participants in Buin for the South Bougainville. We provided similar training to the SMEs in the `North and Central regions as well.

The Office of Bougainville Cooperative Societies - is also established under this MoU and it has registered 200 plus cooperatives and issued certificates to them. The Office is here in Buka so I encourage cooperatives to approach the office to continue to register their cooperatives. In addition, we will soon include construction unit as part of the MoU which will be responsible for training and issuing construction licenses.

Economic Constituency Investment Grant - Mr Speaker, I keep reminding all members of the parliament to submit business proposals to access the grant. Let me inform the house that so far the technical working committee chaired by my department approved 8 constituencies business applications, totalling K850, 000. 

PROJECTS TO GENERATE INTERNAL REVENUE 

Mr. Speaker, let me briefly highlight the number of pivotal projects that are in place to kick start our revenue generation agenda.  These include:

Commercial development of balsa – Mr Speaker let me update the house that we have conducted brief awareness and training on balsa throughout the region last year. We will now finalize the Balsa policy and Code of Practice that will regulate the industry in the region and we set up one balsa mill in the region to commence balsa milling and export. 

Bougainville Refinery Limited - Mr Speaker, let me also update the house that the Bougainville Refinery operations would commence operation in around April 2024. The major setback was in procurement of the key equipment and the shipping issues from India.

Bougainville Savings and Loans Society - Mr Speaker, let me inform the house that the Bougainville Savings and Loans Society (BSLS) is now in operations. I, therefore, would like to call on the members of parliament, publics servants, and the general public to join the BSLS as members.

Kuruwina Plantation - Mr Speaker, let me update the house that we have already paid K1.5million under the supplementary budget in 2023 for first instalment payment of Kuruwina planation (840 hectares). We will pay off the plantation once the funds are available. Mr. Speaker ABG must have a land in order to bring about development.

Road transport authority (RTA) -    Mr Speaker, the Department signed a MoU with RTA last year (2023) and we will now start operations this year. There is potential to collect about K3 million-K5million per annum.

Water bottling –  Mr Speaker let me also update the house that last year I took an official trip to Shanghai then to Tsiangsu and Guadong provinces in China to witness the water bottling shipment of the machineries and equipment to AROB. Let me inform the house that the plants have arrived in PNG and they will be shortly installed at the project site for operations this year.

Bougainville Petroleum Project- Mr. Speaker let me inform the House that the Ministry and the Department will now formalize a company under Bougainville Advance Holding Limited that will take in charge of fuel import and distribution throughout the region. ABG should earn considerable revenue out of the fuel business in the region. This is to also manage the fuel crisis in the country.

Law & order and infrastructure development

I commend the respective ministers and their secretaries for their plans under the Bougainville Integrated Strategic Development Plans to tackle these issues concurrently. These must be supported through proper funding to provide confidence to our nation building initiatives.

PRIORITIES TO IMPLEMENT IN 2024

Mr Speaker, some of the priorities for the Ministry and Department in 2024 are:

IPA powers and functions - Mr Speaker, my department will make it a priority this year for the key legislations to be enacted that will be regulate the corporations in the region. This is priority for us as the region will regulate all businesses in the region. This will enable all companies and businesses to be registered in Bougainville under our laws.

SMEs and Bougainville Business A ssociation - Mr Speaker, the department will put more emphasis on the private sector or SME sector in Bougainville to build their capacity and drive the economy within next 10-20 year period. Let me also inform the House that this year we will host the President’s Breakfast, where the private sector will directly have interaction with the President.

Bougainville Reserved Indigenous Business List – I would like to inform the House that I will soon submit an interim policy mandate reserve/restrict businesses to be only operated by Bougainvilleans. The paper has been approved by CACC and I will be submitting to BEC for its final approval.

State owned enterprise policy - Let me also update the House that the draft SOE policy will be workshop this year throughout the region and approved for implementation, this will guide all the development and operationalization of all the SOE activities.

Insurance policy and legislation - The insurance policy and legislation are in draft stage, this will be also workshop throughout the region for stakeholders input and finalization.

Bougainville Economic Development Plan – Mr Speaker let me also inform the house that my Ministry and Department have embarked on the development of a 15-year plan. We have developed the Bougainville Vision 2052 and other MTDPs that will follow. Therefore, the economic sector will need a detail economic plan to guide the development in the key areas.

Bougainville Economic Roadmap – the Economic Roadmap is a guide for all economic sectors to generate revenue, reduce wastage of public money and create conducive environment for businesses investment to flourish, which can contribute to Bougainville financial fiscal independence and economic growth. This document is ready to be launched and will be a reference document for economic development. The Bougainville Economic Roadmap is for the period 2022-2027.

CONCLUSION 

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I reiterate my commendation to the President, fellow ministers and members of our honorable House for seeing through successfully in 2023 and the start of 2024. You can be assured that I will continue to work collaboratively and in partnership with everyone to ensure our collective plans for future growth are achieved.

I also want to thank our public service for their continued support in 2023 and look forward to another prosperous working relationship in 2024. To my ministry support staff and department secretary, executive managers and public service, my gratitude for your resilience and hard work in our pursuit of excellence in developing our economic foundation. The year 2024 promises to be another challenging year but I have every confidence in our ability to deliver on behalf of the Toroama-Nisira Government and the people of Bougainville.

My best wishes for a safe and enjoyable Easter celebration.

Thank you and God bless Bougainville.

 

Hon. Patrick Nisira,MHR
Vice President and Minister for Commerce, Trade, Industry & Economic Development
Member for Halia Constituency

[ Back to News ]