Morobe targets economic boom through strategic SEZ partnerships

The Lae Port in Morobe has been marked as a Special Economic Zone (Image: Supplied)

The Morobe Provincial Government is moving decisively to establish itself as a national industrial hub, hosting a high-level consultative meeting with the Ministry for International Trade and Investment in Lae this week.

The two-day summit at the Lae International Hotel has brought together stakeholders from the mining, energy, agriculture, and transport sectors to finalize the roadmap for Special Economic Zones [SEZs] across the province.

Morobe Governor Reinbo Paita emphasized that the meeting is a critical step in operationalizing the province's economic vision.

"This is an opportune time for Morobe to present our plans and engage directly with key stakeholders," Paita said. "We are fully committed to these SEZs and look forward to working closely with Minister Maru, who has championed this concept since its inception."

International Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru commended Morobe’s vast resource potential, identifying several priority zones for immediate assessment. His primary focus remains on the Finschhafen Hydro Project, Lae Port and Nadzab Airport City SEZ.

Morobe governor Reinbo Paita addressing the stakeholders during the consultative workshop in Lae (Image: Supplied)

Minister Maru said while the National Executive Council [NEC] recently approved the Lae Port SEZ in principle, critical infrastructure hurdles remain.

"The Lae Port has yet to resolve water, power, and sewage issues before a final license can be issued," Maru told NBC News. "We are also eyeing the Nadzab SEZ for shipping centers and hotels. While the National Government currently lacks the budget for these services, the SEZ framework allows us to provide incentives that make these plans attractive to private investors."

So far, four SEZ licenses have been issued in Port Moresby, and Maru confirmed the government is ready to replicate this success in other regional centers.

Morobe currently lists six major SEZ projects at various stages of development including Finschhafen Hydro [Energy], Lae Port [Logistics & Manufacturing], Nadzab City [Service & Hospitality], Labu SEZ, Watarise Inland Container Terminal and Mumeng SEZ [Proposed].

The consultative meeting concluded with the provincial government hopeful that these dialogues will fast-track the licensing process and trigger a new wave of foreign and domestic investment.