Part V: Overview and conclusion

Fear not the past, learn from it, and let’s move on and step up to the future!

—James Marape, in his maiden speech upon becoming prime minister in 2019 (Business Advantage PNG 2019)

Given its fortunate resource endowment, its early aspirations, and its generally sound beginnings, why has Papua New Guinea’s economic performance been so disappointing, and what are its future prospects? (May [1997] 2001, 315)