Photo: Supplied/ FB -Autonomous Bougainville Government
The president of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville has told Australia that it is open for business.
Speaking this week at the PNG Investment Week Conference in Sydney, Ishmael Toroama called for investors to embrace the region.
The PNG Investment Week Conference is an annual event hosted by the PNG Chamber of Resources and Energy, attracting over 2000 delegates this year.
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He said Bougainville has worked hard since the end of the conflict in 1997, laying the foundations for an emerging economy through policy and legislation, administrative capacity, and in preparing the people.
The president said Bougainville is "blessed with abundant mineral and energy resources that can be developed sustainably to grow an emerging economy."
He said a milestone achievement in 2024 has been the granting of the exploration licence to Bougainville Copper Limited, marking a critical step in the redevelopment prospects of the long shut Panguna mine.
In concluding his address, Toroama said, "Come to Bougainville and be part of our journey."