Things are moving quickly in terms of preparations for the 13th World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) to be hosted it in the city of Port Moresby for the first time, with the aim to create opportunities for more Papua New Guinean businesses to tap into the international market. The Acting Secretary for the Department of International Trade and Investments (DITI), Mrs. Jacinta Warakai- Manua said the WIBF is an important event for Papua New Guinea (PNG) because it will provide a great platform to connect and discuss international business opportunities with indigenous businesses from Africa, North and South America, Asia and the Pacific. “It facilitates indigenous businesses, and it also includes a trade show where our indigenous owners, both from Papua New Guinea as well as overseas, will showcase their products, and of course, their goods and services.” Said the Acting Secretary. “The World Indigenous Business Forum brings our attention to the development of indigenous businesses around the world.” Giving a brief history of the WIBF, Acting Secretary Manua said the Forum started in 2011 in New York City in the United States of America (USA) and it has been to twelve countries and now, it’s coming to PNG. “Papua New Guinea was granted the hosting right to host the World Indigenous Business Forum by the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute in Bogota, Colombia in 2022.” “We thank the then Vice Minister of International Trade and Investment, Kessy Sawang, for the successfully winning the bid to bring the World Indigenous Business Forum to Papua New Guinea.” The WIBF will be hosted in Port Moresby from the 24th to the 26th of October and is expected draw in over 600 participants from with the country and from overseas. Mrs. Manua said there are just five more weeks to go before the hosting of the international Forum. The National Government is fully supporting the WIBF and has put in K2 million already to support its hosting. The event will cost about K7 million to host, and the DITI continues to raise funds to go towards its financing. Just recently, the Department hosted a Sponsors Night to raise further funding, where the National Capital District Commission (NCDC), through Governor Powes Parkop, pledged K1 million to support the hosting of the 13th WIBF.