Over 300 building and industrial professionals who attended the 2026 NCDC Building Authority Seminar on Wednesday 29th July, at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby, left with a whole lot of information on technical and regulatory requirements needed in the industry to further development and growth for Port Moresby city.

The Seminar had industrial professionals doing presentations and open conversations on various technical and regulatory aspects focused around three main topics; Common Submissions and Ignored Compliance Codes/Standards, Enhancing Standard and Compliance, and Mandatory Permit Approving Authorities.

Speaking at the opening of the seminar, Department of Works & Highway Secretary – Mr. Gibson Holemba told the participating industrial professionals to be creative with their building products, particularly the architectural designs and models. He encouraged architectural professionals to always have in mind that they are designing for the people that they are serving.

“We have got to change the way the buildings are being designed. Most of our institutional buildings and those amenities need to change and feed the current demand. Our collective efforts should be focused on long-term outcomes rather than short-term gains. It needs to support the economic competitiveness, investor confidence, environmental stewardship and social inclusion,” said Secretary Holemba.

However, every building design and development plans have to go before the Building Council to ensure compliance with the Building Act and Regulations before construction takes place.

“As the Secretary for the Department of Works, administering the Building Act and the regulations, it is my responsibility to see that every development that takes place in our towns and cities, are in compliance with the building Act, and it’s transforming the lives of our people,” said Secretary Holemba.

The Secretary highlighted the importance of having such seminars, as it provides another avenue that can help to build a system that is practical, workable, and is efficient between the regulators, developers and investors.

“We should continue to educate. The Industry has to know what the requirements are, the regulatory requirements, the environment they are creating. And so, they will continue to comply. And that is why through partnership and innovation, professional excellence, we can become a regional leader in engineering and construction, and in development,” said the Secretary.

Meanwhile, Holemba also revealed that the Department is currently doing amendments on the Building Act, following recommendations received from consultations with the NCDC Building Board and other stakeholders. Once the amendments are completed, the building act will come into revision.

In order for PNG to lead the region in innovation and engineering, it is vital to improve the regulatory references and frameworks heading into the future.

"And with a lot of investor confidence coming into PNG, we are developing big investment programs at a larger scale."