The business breakfast which was held inthe Jackson'’s Conference room atthe Gateway Hotel, was packed to capacity with organisers commenting that tickets were sold within three days of availibility.
Julia Gillard acknowledgedthe work ofthe chamber while expressing confidence in PNG rsquo;s economy.
She spoke on trade betweenthe two countries saying “”…Overthe past 5 years, two-way trade has increased rapidly to more than K16 billion. The balance of trade stands by more than $1 Bellion (AUS) in Papua New Guinea#39’s favour. Australian investment which has grown fivefold over five years to more than K41 billion showsthe confidence Australian business has in this country…”
Whenthe visa issue was addressed. Gillard said that visa processing will be increased by 25 % withthe introduction of online visitor visa applications in a few weeks’ time.
She notedthe governments' focus on infrastructure development revealing her government would invest K 396 million on development assistance.
Last night during a state dinner Prime Minister Peter O’Neill expressed disappointment about Australia’s attitude in issuing visas.
He questioned why citizens of 40 ther countries were allowed visa in arrival while Australia’s nearest neighbour was excluded.
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