Are PNG businesses thinking digital?

PNG business confidence has grown since 2016 with 71% of PNG business leaders in 2018 confident on their organisation’s revenue growth prospects over the next 12 months. Business confidence is reflected in investment intentions with more than half planning an investment increase while almost a third will maintain current levels.

But what is driving business optimism and what are businesses investing in?

Last year, business leaders indicated that they were looking to automate certain functions, leverage a greater use of technology in remote operations and identify workers skilled at automation tools.

Could optimism be a result of productivity gains, efficiency and added competitiveness from business investments over the past 12 months? Or are growth prospects linked more closely to the cyclical nature of PNG’s traditional commodity sectors? The answer is both.

Digital awareness and understanding is growing but is constrained by limited digital infrastructure. Building PNG’s digital future therefore requires actions on two fronts: infrastructure development and concerted efforts to nurture green shoots and digital talent, propelling the current crop of digital novices and followers to digital champions.