PAPUA New Guinea’s (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape used Pangu Pati’s 59th anniversary convention on Thursday to tell members of the governing party that the next election should not be their only concern.
Opening the three-day gathering at the Hilton Hotel, Marape urged delegates to look beyond the 2027 national poll and focus instead on the country’s next generation.
“This Convention is not just about the next election. I want to take our minds away from the next election and focus on the next generation,” he told party members.
The message was part rallying cry, part political reminder. Pangu, founded in 1967, remains one of PNG’s oldest and most influential parties, with roots in the country’s push toward self-government and independence.
Marape leaned on that history, casting the party as an institution with a responsibility that reaches far beyond the next vote.
He also used the convention to underline his government’s economic agenda, defending the “Take Back PNG” policy as an effort to secure a larger return from the country’s natural resources without driving away investors.
“We must take more from our resources. God’s given blessing and right to our country. We must earn appropriately from our resources without hurting our investors,” he said.
Marape said his government had pursued reforms across mining, petroleum, forestry and fisheries since taking office in 2019, alongside efforts to refinance debt, lift revenue and expand infrastructure spending.
He pointed to the Connect PNG programme, which aims to improve links between remote parts of the country through roads, bridges, ports and other transport projects.
Among the flagship ambitions he highlighted was a possible continuous road connection between Port Moresby and Lae, a project long seen as a symbol of national integration.
Marape also struck a broader note about the country’s political resilience, saying PNG had held together despite repeated pressures.
“Fifty years later, no military dictatorship, no abrogation of our Constitution. Attempts have been made, but we still remain together as one people, one nation, one country,” he said.
With the 2027 election approaching, Marape pressed party members to stay united and keep their focus on service delivery, development and social progress.
“The dream of a better PNG is not fully realised. It is our work now as we stand on the cusp of the 2027 elections,” he said.
The convention is expected to cover policy priorities, organisational reform and election preparations as Pangu enters the final phase of the current parliamentary term.
