Infrastructures must lead to economic activities, says Marape

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape recently emphasized that national infrastructure projects must be designed to directly stimulate economic growth. This statement coincides with a significant shift in the country's energy sector, as ExxonMobil has signed an agreement to become the operator of the Papua LNG project. The move involves purchasing additional equity from TotalEnergies, increasing ExxonMobil’s stake in the project to 34.1 percent.

Simultaneously, the government faces international scrutiny regarding its management of land and resources. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has issued a formal critique, urging the Papua New Guinea government to take immediate steps to protect Indigenous land rights. The committee specifically highlighted concerns regarding the impacts of unlawful land leases and controversial logging activities in the region.