Chief Secretary discusses APEC PNG 2018 preparations

Sir Manasupe encourages all line agencies to work together in preparation for APEC Papua New Guinea 2018

The Chief Secretary to Government, Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc, has encouraged all line agencies in the country to work together in preparation for hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) process in 2018.
He said that the time to start APEC Papua New Guinea 2018 preparations was right now, as there was a lot of hard work ahead for agencies in Port Moresby and other centres around the country.
The Chief Secretary made this call during the second briefing session of the APEC National Organising Committee (NOC) at the Gateway Hotel this week.
Sir Manasupe made the point that APEC preparations for many agencies would be undertaken alongside their existing activities, and it was essential that there was consultation and collaboration.
“Our government has made a commitment to deliver as many as two hundred APEC-related meetings that will take place around Papua New Guinea between now and the end of 2018,” he said.
“My only request is that you, the secretaries and public servants, to have zero tolerance for negativity or yumi nonap lo wokim (we cannot do it). 
“We need to stand up, put our hands up and say yes, we can do this.
“We will, to the best of our ability, deliver this to the people of Papua New Guinea and the APEC region.”
The Chief Secretary also revealed that some developed countries, who have embassies in Papua New Guinea, had publicly doubted the government’s ability of hosting APEC.
“This is an opportunity for Papua New Guinea to again demonstrate the capacity of our country to manage significant events,” he said.
Sir Manasupe said so far all committees in the National Organising Committee had done well through briefings and ongoing consultation, which provided a way forward in the planning and preparation work for APEC Papua New Guinea 2018.