Prime Minister (PM) James Marape is pleased with the turnaround in the performance of State-Owned Enterprises (SEO) since his government took office in 2019, and then went to work on them to improve their operations. Marape expressed his appreciation following the State-Owned Enterprises Minister, William Duma’s presentation on a comprehensive 16-page progress report to Parliament recently, on the reform program to Papua New Guinea's SOEs along with their respective performance and outlook for the current year. The progress report signifies a turning point in the revitalization of SOEs, marking a pivotal moment in Papua New Guinea's economic landscape. Marape underscored the dire condition of SOEs prior to his government's tenure, describing them as being in the "intensive care unit" in 2018. He acknowledged the exhaustive efforts of Minister Duma and Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) over the past three years in resuscitating the ailing enterprises. "In 2018, all of them were in the intensive care unit. Air Niugini, Water PNG, PNG Power Ltd, and all the others had massive problems," said Marape. "They were on the verge of going to the morgue when we pulled them back and resuscitated them." He emphasised the need for patience and recognition of the ongoing reforms, stating, "If someone has been sick for so long, do you expect him to get up and walk right away? Have some space and respect for the reforms that are taking place. They will not happen overnight." Expressing gratitude to Minister Duma and his team, the PM commended their dedication to steering SOEs on the path to recovery. He asserted that since assuming office, his government's primary focus has been to stabilise, invest, and foster the growth of State-Owned Enterprises. "Just because it has not been done before does not mean that it cannot be done," Marape said. "All it requires is competency, consistency, investment, and hard work." Reflecting on the progress made over the past three years, he acknowledged that life is gradually returning to all State-Owned Enterprises. While recognising that full efficiency may not have been achieved, he emphasised the positive developments aligning with the vision to rejuvenate SOEs for the benefit of the nation. Prime Minister Marape credited a robust policy programme for attracting support from global entities such as the World Bank, Australia, Korea, Japan, China, and other development partners. He highlighted that the SOEs are now starting to present full reports, indicating a positive shift in their performance. "This may be far from excellent; however, it shows that something good is starting to happen in SOEs," the PM said. Prime Minister Marape called on the public to use Minister Duma’s statement as a reference point to hold him and his team at KCH accountable for the ongoing reforms.