Minister for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru, acknowledged and expressed gratitude to the New Zealand (NZ) Government for supporting the Papua New Guinea (PNG) SME sector. Minster Maru voiced this in the presence of NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxin and Significant Entrepreneurs, in his address at the New Zealand Economic Support Morning on Wednesday 6th August, 2025. The event saw Prime Minister Luxon and NZ Government supported Entrepreneurs through the Business Link Pacific (BLP) Program, providing business advisory services, concessional lending, and grants, with a particular focus on supporting women-owned businesses and those in rural areas. Minister Maru stressed his appreciation to the NZ Government for its support in providing seasonal employment opportunities and for assisting PNG in developing the SME sector, on behalf of the Marape-Rosso Government. “Apart from the BLP Program, the New Zealand Government has provided significant financial assistance for the upgrade of the Gordons market, Kimbe market and now the Lae market.” “Markets are where most of our SMEs and mothers from the informal sector sell their products and we want this to be replicated in the rest of the provinces and districts in the country to support our mothers and sisters.” Moreover, Maru highlighted the PNG Government’s consistent annual investment of over K100 million in SME loans over the past seven years, along with new grant support for the Women’s Microbank (Mama Bank) to improve financial access for women. He pointed out 50, 000 register SME’s currently and emphasized the need to expand, train, and empower more entrepreneurs. He announced a new K100,000 export grant per SME from NEC, aimed at helping businesses reach international markets through a competitive bidding process. “This grant will be handled on a competitive bidding process. More details will be announced soon. Our Government is ready to drive the growth of the SME sector.” Additionally, Minister Maru whilst acknowledging New Zealand for being a very dear friend to PNG over the last fifty years said both countries needed to seriously look beyond just having a diplomatic partnership and anchor the relationship through a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) going forward. “One of the chapters that we want to write in this Agreement is how New Zealand will support us to grow our SME sector, support our entrepreneurs and look for their markets in New Zealand.” Furthermore, Maru reaffirmed PNG’s firm stance against joining the PACER Plus trade agreement. Emphasizing national sovereignty, he stated that PNG is a large island nation with its own resources, population, and unique challenges, and must prioritize its own national interests over regional trade commitments. “As we take a stock take our last fifty years, there is so much to be done and we need partners like New Zealand to help us unleash the potential that we have always had as a country.” “We need genuine partners like New Zealand who will help us to build industries, grow our businesses and create employment.”