The Legal Foundation of the Soraken SEZ
The Bougainville Economic Corridor and the Soraken Special Economic Zone are grounded in five national legislative and policy instruments.
Five Instruments, One Legal Foundation
The Bougainville Economic Corridor and the Soraken Special Economic Zone are grounded in the following national legislative and policy instruments.
Free Trade Zones Act 2000
Establishes the framework and mechanism for the creation, operation, administration and coordination of free trade zones in Papua New Guinea, and expressly lists Bougainville Province among the provinces to which the Act applies (Schedule 3).
Special Economic Zones Authority Act 2019 (as amended)
Establishes the Special Economic Zones Authority and the statutory licensing framework for SEZ developers.
PNG Special Economic Zones Foundation Policy 2025–2032
Issued by the Ministry and Department of International Trade and Investment, this policy sets out the objectives, classifications and evaluation criteria against which SEZ proposals, including SEIFH, are assessed.
Physical Planning Act 1989
The Act under which Soraken's physical planning approval, Gazette G1085/2025, was issued.
NEC Decision 148/2025 & the 2026 National Budget (Income Tax Act amendments)
Legally establishes Bougainville's entitlement to 0.5 per cent of the Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (ITCS), the funding mechanism proposed to complete Soraken's enabling infrastructure.
Together, these instruments provide the foundation legislation and policy framework for the Bougainville Economic Corridor, and for the Soraken licence application that follows.