The agriculture sector is expected to yield a critical target of a K30 billion growth in the country’s economy by 2027, which will see the creation of a million jobs in the sector alone. This ambitious goal was announced by Prime Minister James Marape during the closing ceremony of a two-day Department of Agriculture and Sub-sector Agencies Meeting in Port Moresby. Key figures in attendance included Agriculture Minister John Boito, Oil Palm Minister Francis Maneke, and Agriculture Secretary Dr. Sergie Bang, alongside leaders from various agricultural commodity boards. Prime Minister Marape told them that this anticipated milestone achievement is in line with the country’s Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) IV for 2023-2027. “If, in four years, you have not contributed to growing the economy by K30 billion, then you have wasted Papua New Guinea’s time and the occupation you are holding today.” “By the end of this year, I’ll be asking all of you to give me statistics of how much you have produced in your sector.” He said people are already seasoned practitioners of agriculture, and own land which can be used for commercial agriculture, but with more policy and funding support from all provincial governments and the National Government, the sector will be pivotal for national development “Resources should not be an issue (as) you have the policies so allow the private sector to come into this space,” PM urged agricultural leaders. PM Marape also underscored the potential for agricultural activities to help create up to one million jobs by 2027. “Agriculture can mobilize the one million people envisaged by MTDP IV in pursuing economic activities.” Addressing differing views on employment, the prime minister pointed out that his administration’s approach is creating economic activities where all involved can benefit, unlike the Western view. “The Western mindset of creating jobs is someone in a paid designation." " Papua New Guinea’s mindset, especially my government’s mindset, is creating economic activities.” He likened the Opposition’s employment views to that of the Western mindset, criticizing the Opposition on its ‘limited views’. “The Opposition’s proposed alternate Prime Minister’s view of a job is someone behind a desk.”