The Milne Bay province is among five provinces situated in the Southern region of Papua New Guinea. In mid-2005, the Milne Bay provincial capital, Alotau, hosted the Mila Mala Festival. Traditionally, a celebration of a good harvest of yams in Milne Bay culture, the Festival attracted cultural performances from all areas of the province. The humble root crop, yam, plans a significant part in the lives of the people and grows abundantly in Milne Bay. Mila Mala is a word in the Trobriand language of Milne Bay that relates to the period between the time the yam harvest commences and the time the yams are stored in the elaborately-built yam houses.

West Sepik, also known as Sandaun province is fast emerging, as PNG’s “Surfers Paradise” due to its waters popularity with surfers both locally and internationally, is the third largest province in Papua New Guinea in terms of land size, covering an area of over 36,000 square kilometers. This makes up 7.7% of the country’s total land area.

Lack of Government support and effort towards the development, and therefore, maintenance of public utilities and other infrastructures continue to cause major problems for business houses in Simbu. Over 95% of the Companies surveyed expressed concerns about this situation This situation is common in many other Provinces throughout the country. They strongly recommend that the basic infrastructures such as roads, bridges, telecommunication facilities, electricity, drainage and water distribution systems should be properly maintained at all times in order for businesses to operate normally.   

Accurate information on the economy and business environment is crucial for investors to make informed business and investment decisions. Information creates awareness of the business and investment environment, which are needed by both existing and potential investors. It is therefore a good idea to develop and maintain an accurate database of all companies in each province. This will ensure proper scrutiny of business operations as well as enabling timely compilation and dissemination of pertinent business information. The information will enable companies to develop realistic business plans and strategies. This survey program is consistent with IPA’s effort to make available accurate business information.