NDB TO HOST PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT BANK’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE - 21st August 2007

The National Development Bank will be hosting the 22nd Annual Conference of the Development Financing Institution’s of the Pacific (ADFIP) in Port Moresby.

Members of ADFIP are Development Bank’s within the Pacific.

We have confirmed international delegates coming from the Development Banks from the Pacific including Fiji Development Bank, Tonga, Niue, Samoa, Socredo, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Federated States of Micronesia, American Samoa and the European Investment Bank.

We will also have presenters from UNICEP, ADFIAP, Standard and Poors and the.

The theme of this year conference will be “Reforming Development Finance Institutions in the Pacific”. Aparts from the AGM the presenters during the conference will present on various topics including Risk Management, HIV Aids, Legislatives Reforms of Development Finance Institutes, Microfinance and other topics relevant to the theme.

The Conference will start on Sunday and will end on Thursday with a field trip to Lae where the delegates will visit some of the projects funded by NDB. The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel which will also host the Pacific Microfinance Week which the delegates of the ADFIP conference will also attend.

The Caretaker Minister for Finance and Treasury, Hon. Patrick Pruaitch, MP, will be providing the key note address and open the conference on Monday 27 August 2007. The major sponsors of the conference are the Independent Public Business Corporation, the PNG-ADB Microfinance Project and Pacific Assurance Group, while minor sponsors are SDBC, IPA and the National Fisheries Authority.

The Managing Director of National Development Bank, Richard Maru said this conference will be the biggest annual conference of ADFIP since inception and we are indeed very grateful for the support from our sponsors to enable National Development Bank to host the conference. The conference will be another good opportunity to move our country.

The Investment Promotion Authority will be making a presentation to all the delegates on Sunday on investment opportunities in Papua New Guinea.

The NDB will be hosting a dinner this Saturday evening to welcome the delegates to the conference. The welcome will coincide with the launching of the new NDB website by the Governor General Grand Chief Sir Paulias Matane, GCL, GCMG, KStJ.