The 2^nd Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Summit ended this afternoon in Port Moresby city, closing off three (3) days of dialogues where much was talked about in terms of boosting investor confidence, but perhaps what transpired from this, is the need to fully secure investors. This was highlighted by the Mining Minister Rainbo Paita who was guest speaker at the closing at the APEC Haus. He said a lot can be talked about on the potentials that Papua New Guinea has in terms of resources available for investment opportunities; however, what is all that without securing investors to actually come into to the country to make the investments, which will then lead to economic progress, job creation and a lot more benefits that comes along with it. He said on the back of the SEZ projects, PNG has the capacity to propel itself to be a robust economy with better conditions for its people in the next 5 to 10 years. And he said by being competitive in providing better incentives for investors, pulling them in instead of going elsewhere, is what must be prioritized through government policies. “In special economic zones, we have to be competitive. We have to be competitive with Indonesia; we have to be competitive with China. We have to have competitive policies, advantages that make us standout,” said Minister Paita. He said investors must be given an irresistible reason to come and spend their money in PNG, in the SEZ projects that’s coming up right now. Meanwhile, the Minister also took the time to appreciate the enormous work done by the Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Ramu, whom he describes as a Minister who is adamant and passionate in developing the SEZ as a source of revenue for the country and a source of employment for many Papua New Guineans. Meantime, Minister Maru said all the recommendations and conclusions that were made during the 3- day Summit, will be submitted to Cabinet soon. From there PNG will chart a way forward with regards to implementing them.