At the conclusion of the recent Pacific Infrastructure Conference 2025 (PIC2025), held in Brisbane from August 18-20, 2025, Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso made a strong call to foreign investors.
“Too often, investors tell us what to do with investments. It should be the other way around. We should be telling investors what investments our countries require, and investors should adapt to our needs.
“While our challenges are common, not every Pacific island country has the same investment needs, which vary depending on infrastructure and population”
The Pacific Infrastructure Conference 2025 (PIC2025), held in Brisbane from August 18-20, 2025, attracted over 650 delegates from 20 countries. It brought together government leaders, private sector stakeholders, financiers, engineers, urban planners, and development partners to align on sustainable and resilient infrastructure priorities critical for the future of Pacific economies, including PNG.
The conference spanned key sectors such as transport, energy, ICT, water and sanitation, urban development, and financing models. It highlighted the Pacific’s infrastructure pipeline, valued at over $2 billion, and featured discussions around climate resilience, local job creation, inclusivity, and alignment with the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles and the Blue Pacific 2050 Strategy.
This gathering provided a unique platform to engage with regional decision-makers, investors, and contractors—an opportunity to accelerate infrastructure development essential for economic growth and community wellbeing across Pacific nations, especially PNG.
Infrastructure is central to overcoming the nation’s geographic challenges, limited connectivity, and vulnerability to climate change. Developing quality infrastructure supports trade, digital access, health, education, and economic participation.
The conference’s focus on empowering local content, building capacity, and fostering regional collaboration directly aligns with PNG’s developmental goals and its new Special Economic Zone policy announced to boost long-term investment.
However, despite these opportunities, challenges remain. The Pacific region, including PNG, faces slow project timelines due to lengthy approvals, land access issues, and coordination complexities.
Financing constraints and risks linked to concessional finance availability also limit the scale and speed of infrastructure delivery. Additionally, some past projects have suffered from poor maintenance or inappropriate designs, underscoring the need for sustainable, well-planned infrastructure solutions. Engaging local stakeholders fully and fostering local ownership are vital for project success and longevity.
Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso highlighted the need to begin with small projects to build skills and expertise locally. He stressed the importance of working closely with partners to create projects that truly benefit communities. Large infrastructure projects should be rooted in local needs, support local businesses, and address Papua New Guinea’s specific challenges. This way, infrastructure can boost economic growth while also making communities stronger and more resilient.
