Orange-PNG business opportunities explored

The prospects for Orange businesses in Papua New Guinea were explored during a visit to Orange by the PNG Consul General.

Consul-General Mr Sumasy Singin spent four days in Orange recently in a visit arranged by Deputy Mayor and Sister Cities committee chair, Cr Chris Gryllis.

The Consul-General said the latest visit builds on “Orange’s special relationship with Papua New Guinea through the Mount Hagen Sister City relationship.”

“This relationship has being going for thirty years or so and Hagen is at the heart of our highland region.”

Because Mt Hagen has recently opened an international airport, “most of the mining companies operating in the area fly in and fly out though Mt Hagen.” Mr Singin said.

A major mining industry support business based in Orange, Pybar, will be attended its first mining expo in Port Moresby this week.

“We’re starting to look at overseas opportunities,” Pybar Chief Operating Officer Brendan Rouse said. “PNG, given its proximity to Australia and the eastern states, is a logical choice.”

“Underground gold mining at the moment is the main opportunity there. That’s our speciality.”

“It’s a long term project,” Brendan Rouse said. “We’re not there to try and find something next month. It could be twelve months away, but if it takes 12 months then that’s fine. We want to try and understand the country and see what the opportunities are and put a plan in place.”

The PNG Consul-General said there are “a lot of opportunities” for businesses in Orange to explore business in PNG and that current economic conditions could make now a good time to explore the PNG market.

“They should go to PNG now,” Mr Singin said. “The prices or oil and gas have gone down and a lot of bigger companies are sizing up their operating costs. It is better to move in now to see the opportunities.”

Based in Sydney, Mr Singin made the trip to Orange with his wife and two grandchildren.

“I went to Mount Canobolas. It is like going up to the Everest of this part of the world and see all the cities below you. The road was closed but it was fun walking up to the summit. My grandchildren had never seen the snow before.”

OPPORTUNITIES : The prospects for Australian businesses working in PNG were up for discussion when the PNG Consul-General visited Orange this week. Pictured (l. to r.) are Orange Deputy Mayor Cr Chris Gryllis, Pybar Chief Operating Officer Brendan Rouse, Consul-General Sumasy Singin, Pybar CEO Paul Rouse and Cr Russell Turner.