
Economic sustainability
Ok Tedi provides significant funds towards the socio-economic development of Papua New Guinea and the Western Province, both directly through services provided, infrastructure, and indirectly through the facilitation of community access to services and infrastructure.
Job Creation & Employment
Ok Tedi is the largest employer in the Western Province, and one of the largest in Papua New Guinea, directly employing over 2,800 team members, with a further 3000+ business partners working in our operations. We are proud to champion local talent, with our workforce comprised of approximately 98% Papua New Guineans, including over 35% from Western Province.
We also manage a Graduate Development program, Trade Apprenticeships and Preferred Area Traineeships to ensure a continuous supply of local talent. Our competitive remuneration and benefits offerings, as well as our respected reputation, means we are able to attract and retain top talent.
Local & Regional Suppliers
Our policy is to preferentially source locally manufactured or supplied goods and services in all areas of our operations, provided they are competitively priced and meet required quality standards. Ok Tedi maintains corporate targets for Local & Regional supplier engagement and reports against this annually.
Our objective is to support local landowner business entities that can provide goods and services to the mining sector, but also be sustainable after mine closure. We identify, develop and support investment in the non-mining sector and encourage businesses with wider community representation so that there is the improved distribution of revenue and benefits across the community.
Investments in Infrastructure
Safe, reliable and accessible community infrastructure is critical for the economic development of the Western Province, and Papua New Guinea. Ok Tedi regularly champions and contributes to community infrastructure projects both through our not-for-profit subsidiary, Ok Tedi Development Foundation and through programs like the national government’s Tax Credit Scheme (TCS).
The OTDF delivers both large and small scale project development and implementation. Past projects have covered everything from fresh water resources and sewerage treatment, to electricity and telecommunications, to community health centres and libraries. The OTDF aims to provide increased access to markets, basic services and village facilities that contribute to improved local and regional economic development.
The TCS focuses on delivering infrastructure projects to the provinces in which resource development companies operate. Since the TCS began in 1996, Ok Tedi has contributed over PGK 900M in infrastructure projects to the Western and Sandaun Provinces. These projects include new builds and improvements to schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and other necessary public resources.

Community development
The sustainable development of communities depends on their economic viability. Our Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) subsidiary focuses on projects that can provide a sustainable food supply for communities, as well as deliver income earning and employment potential.
Medium-term economic opportunities such as the selling of agricultural products to local and regional customers are strongly supported. The OTDF provides financial project support through Trust investments and transfers knowledge to assist existing non-formal enterprises to transition to the formal sector. To learn more about OTDF, visit their website.
Long-term viability
With a planned mine life out to 2050 and beyond, Ok Tedi is making investments in planning and diversification to support a long and sustainable future. We are investing in improvements to infrastructure, from mine throughput, to transport and energy use. We continue to enthusiastically embrace new technologies to ensure we are on the forefront of technology in our industry.
We are also focused on growing new revenue streams through business diversification to ensure we can adapt to future challenges and continue to give back to the community. To learn more about our business diversification, including Ok Tedi Energy (our Jet A1 fuel subsidiary) and our new Misima mine acquisition, visit Nation Building.
Financial security for mine closure
Ok Tedi maintains a mine closure fund, referred to as the Financial Assurance Fund (FAF), to ensure there is sufficient funding to enact the company’s Mine Closure Plan at the end of mine life.
The assets of the FAF are legally separate from Ok Tedi and cannot be used for any other purpose than for the mine closure. This safeguards the future transition and environmental rehabilitation of mine assets, regardless of the economic success of the Ok Tedi.
Updates to the Mine Closure Plan are required to be lodged with Government every three years. The balance of the FAF continues to be well ahead of the projected funds required to enact the plan.
