More foreigners in PNG

 THE country has seen an increase in the number of foreigners arriving for employment and business over the years.

Dr Carmen Voigt-Graf, a researcher at the PNG national research centre, said it began when the liquefied natural gas project started in 2007.

She told the 2015 PNG Update forum that the number of visitors arriving for the purpose of employment and business had grown rapidly as a result of the resources boom.

“PNG’s growing economy has attracted an increasing number of highly skilled professional workers and of vocationally and technically skilled workers both of which are in short supply in the country,” she said.

Voigt-Graf said despite the high increase in visitors coming into the country, the number of tourists had been stagnant.

Meanwhile, Dr Anthony Swan a research fellow of the Australia National University said internal migration had also increased.

Swan said migration from rural to urban areas had increased, requiring policy makers to invest in urban development.

Swan said to stop or control the urban drift,  policy makers must also improve prospects in rural areas in terms of economic growth and accessibility to basic services.

“The increase in internal migration was a result of people wanting access to better and quality basic services.

“The economic growth as a result of the LNG is another pull factor for the increase,” Swan said.