Visits by Papua New Guineas to Australia have increased by 20 percent inthe last 12 months.
And, Australian High Commissioner tPNG Deborah Stokes has encouraged more.
Ms. Stokes said beingthe closest neighbor,there are greater opportunities forPNG citizens to travel to Australia.
Australia is one ofthe largest capitalist economies inthe world with a GDP of 1.57 trillion US dollars.
Its growth is largely dependent onthe mining and agricultural sectors; its products exported mainly tothe East Asian market.
PNG is not a large trading partner.
Australia isthe closest neighbor but its restrictive visa policies have even our Prime Minister calling for relaxed procedures.
Commissioner Stokes said more Papua New Guineas can now travel to Australia.
“Australia is a country that is built on migration. It is essential to our economy and who we are. One in four Australia’s is born overseas, and today one ofthe bigger sources of migrants to Australia is coming from China andIndia. So we welcome people from overseas in Australia,” said Stokes.
Many government institutions andthe private sector attendedthe session yesterday. They were told visa processing days have been drawn down. Those wanting visas can apply on line.
PNG passport holders who transit through Australia for less than 8 hours do not need visas. Citizens from more than one hundred countries do not have such visa free transit.
“We’ve seen a threefold increase inthe number of students’going to Australia inthe last six years,” Stokes said.
Meantime, Australia has provided sixteen billion kina in aid assistance tPNG. A similar arrangement is done with China.
The Pacific seasonal worker scheme has been encouraged. Also this year one hundred students’from both countries will be taking part in a work holiday program.
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