Papua New Guinea has taken a decisive step toward strengthening its National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) following high-level participation by the Minister for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Wake Goi MP, at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Global Quality Forum 2026 in Vienna, Austria, from 4–6 November 2026.
Minister Goi was accompanied by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (NISIT), Mr. Joe Panga.
The three-day forum convened government ministers, policymakers, heads of national quality institutions, development partners, and private sector experts to examine how robust quality systems drive sustainable economic growth, industrial development, and international trade.
Minister Goi’s participation reaffirmed the Marape-Rosso Government’s commitment to building a competitive, diversified economy under its TAKE BACK PNG agenda. Under the Medium-Term Development Plan IV (2023–2027), the National Government aims to grow Papua New Guinea’s economy to K200 billion by 2030, create one million additional jobs, increase domestic revenue, and expand export earnings.
Achieving these targets requires more than physical infrastructure and production capacity. It demands strong national institutions, internationally recognised standards, reliable testing and measurement systems, accreditation, and certification mechanisms.
A functional NQI enables domestic businesses to meet global standards, protects consumers, boosts productivity, and reduces technical barriers to trade—accelerating downstream processing across agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
A central highlight of the mission was a bilateral meeting with the Deputy Director General of UNIDO, where Minister Goi and Mr. Panga outlined five core priorities for technical assistance and long-term cooperation:
• Finalising the PNG National Quality Policy: The Minister emphasised the urgent need for UNIDO’s technical support to complete the National Quality Policy, which will establish a coordinated framework for standards, metrology, accreditation, and conformity assessment. The Ministry aims to present the policy for formal endorsement and launch in the first quarter of 2027.
• 10-Year NQI Modernisation Programme: The delegation proposed a 10-year modernisation pathway to upgrade NISIT and strengthen PNG’s laboratory, regulatory, technical, and human resource capacities to meet international trade obligations.
• Boosting MSME Competitiveness: Recognising MSMEs as vital drivers of employment and local wealth creation, the Minister sought expanded UNIDO cooperation to give local entrepreneurs better access to quality management systems, product testing, certification, and market intelligence.
• Advancing the Blue Economy: The delegation explored UNIDO support for PNG’s fisheries and marine sectors, focusing on food safety, processing, and export compliance. This aligns with the Government's shift away from exporting raw resources toward domestic value addition.
• Enhancing Technical Representation: Minister Goi proposed embedding a Papua New Guinean technical expert within UNIDO to strengthen ongoing coordination between UNIDO, the Government of PNG, and NISIT.
Minister Goi and Mr. Panga also presented a strategic proposal to establish NISIT as a Regional Quality Infrastructure Hub for the Pacific.
Given Papua New Guinea’s economic scale, resource base, and geographic position, the country is uniquely placed to serve as a regional center for laboratory services, specialised expertise, and technical training. Such a hub would support neighboring Pacific Island nations that lack the market size or resources to maintain standalone quality infrastructure, while expanding NISIT’s regional standing. The proposal will now undergo technical assessment and consultation with UNIDO and Pacific partners.
Alongside leadership meetings, the PNG delegation held technical consultations with UNIDO’s Blue Economy and Pacific Quality Infrastructure teams to identify immediate avenues for regional cooperation.
The delegation also met with the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) to advance Papua New Guinea’s pathway toward full membership. Attaining full OIML membership will align PNG’s legal metrology systems with international standards, ensuring accurate trade measurements and boosting global confidence in Papua New Guinean exports.