Papua New Guinea’s chairing of Apec spells progress, despite the expense on Maseratis and Bentleys

David Dodwell says the cynicism over Papua New Guinea’s hosting of the Apec leaders’ summit belies the tangible benefits the event can bring

For developing nations, learning best practices and capacity building through chairing Apec can be a rewarding experience

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Performers in traditional costumes and headdress welcome delegates and ministers to the international convention centre for the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meeting in Port Moresby on November 15. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:04pm, 16 Nov 2018Updated: 10:19pm, 16 Nov 2018

As Papua New Guinea’s challenging year of chairmanship of the 21-economy Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) grouping comes to its climax, with global leaders flying into Port Moresby, it is easy to poke fun or disparage.

In recent weeks, many international publications, including the Post , have homed in on the country’s poverty, its crime and corruption – and whether a country that is short of medicines in its hospitals, and where police and teachers often don’t get paid, should be spending up to US$500 million to host Apec meetings this year.

Some cynics are already cruelly talking of the “Maserati meeting”, after a foolish PNG official signed off on 40 US$150,000 Maseratis and three Bentleys to ferry top leaders around. Officials claim they will be able to sell them off at a profit after the meeting, but the optics are terrible in a country that is ranked by Transparency International as one of the most corrupt in the world.

“Troops pour into Port Moresby” said one Post article, noting the presence of a “multinational force of warships, fighter jets and elite counterterrorism troops” providing security to the 15,000 delegates to PNG’s “crime-plagued” capital city.

Hobnobbing with global business leaders on huge cruise ships moored in Port Moresby’s sun-drenched harbour, few delegates can hand-on-heart say they are getting a glimpse of the challenges of life in one of Asia’s poorest nations or in their own countries.