PMIZ: Promise and Plight

The Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) project on the Madang coast is a bold venture with the goal of establishing a Special Economic Zone that can provide income and employment through on-shore processing of Papua New Guineas extensive tuna resource. The project will operate as a private zonal authority with its own regulations. According to the loan agreement with the Chinese Exim Bank, a major part of the project must go to a Chinese developer using Chinese technology, labour and equipment. The PNG media and voices at meetings in the vicinity of the proposed zone have raised concerns about the conditions of the project and its possible environmental and social impact. The research for this paper seeks to clarify plans for the PMIZ and to seek opinions among the people affected. The study reveals a number of issues that call for further clarification, and identifies areas where the local communities and the Church might work to bring about just and peaceful development.