What Investment Promotion Authority does

The Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) is a statutory government authority of Papua New Guinea, established in 1992 under the Investment Promotion Act 1992, headquartered in Port Moresby. It is the sole national administrator of PNG's core business laws — the Companies Act, Business Names Act, Business Groups Incorporation Act, and Associations Incorporation Act — and additionally houses the Personal Property Securities Registry (PPSR), the Companies Office, and the Intellectual Property Office of PNG (IPOPNG). IPA serves as the mandatory gateway for any local or foreign enterprise seeking to legally operate in PNG, including foreign-owned enterprises that require IPA certification before conducting business.

The core technology stack consists of two fully integrated online registry platforms accessible at ipa.gov.pg: the Business Entities Registry (for companies, business names, associations, and business groups) and the Personal Property Securities Registry (PPSR) for security interests in movable property. Both registries were modernized with a new Online Registry System launched on 1 December 2022, replacing legacy infrastructure. The platform supports entity searches, name reservations, online filings, compliance workflows, certified document issuance, and payments via credit card, BSP online, or BSP branches. IPA also operates the IPOPNG sub-brand for trade marks, patents, industrial designs, and copyright registration, and runs an Investor Servicing and Export Promotion function supported by newsletters and sector-specific investor guides.

IPA's revenue model is built on statutory fees denominated in Papua New Guinea Kina, including one-time incorporation fees (K400-K450), recurring annual returns (K250-K750), foreign enterprise certification (K2,000), PPSR transaction fees (K20 per notice), restoration and compliance penalties (up to K2,500 plus late fees), and document certificates (K5-K75). Customer segments are diverse and fragmented: local and foreign businesses, incorporated associations, customary business groups, lenders and secured creditors, intellectual property owners, and prospective investors. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; as a government body, IPA is accountable to the Minister of Commerce and Industry rather than private shareholders.

Name

Investment Promotion Authority

Legal name

Investment Promotion Authority

Website

https://ipa.gov.pg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) is Papua New Guinea's sole statutory business registry, administering company, business name, association, and personal property securities registrations, plus foreign enterprise certification, intellectual property rights (via IPOPNG), and investor promotion services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Business Registry Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Public Administration (92)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Registration & Corporate Affairs (Registries) (BPAIAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO), Trade, Industry & Economic Development Administration (BPAIAAAL), IP Management, Patents & Trademark Software (BPAEAPAN), Fraud Risk Management & Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption (ABAC) (BPAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Business registration services
• Company incorporation
• Foreign investment certification
• Personal property securities
• Intellectual property registry

Headquarters

HQ city

Boroko

HQ country

Papua New Guinea

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Business Registration and Incorporation Fees: Government-mandated fees for company incorporation (K400 for PNG companies, K450 for overseas companies), business name registration (K150), business group incorporation (K100), and association filings (free for most association forms).
2. Annual Return and Compliance Filing Fees: Recurring annual return filings for companies (K250), overseas companies (K750), and various compliance filings including director changes (K50), share changes (K50), and constitution amendments (K100).
3. Foreign Enterprise Certification: Fees for foreign investor certification applications (K2000 for most applications) required for foreign enterprises operating in PNG.
4. Document Orders and Certificates: Fees for Certificates of Good Standing (K20-K50 depending on entity type and form), Certified Historical Extracts (K75), and Entity Profile full access (K10).
5. PPSR Filing Fees: Fees for registering security interest notices (K20 per notice), amendments (K10), and certified search reports (K5). Basic searches are free.
6. Restoration and Winding Up Fees: Fees for company restoration (K2500), business name revocation (K50), and various liquidation filings (K25-K100).
7. Name Reservation Fees: Fees for reserving company names (K50) for PNG or overseas companies.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) administers Papua New Guinea's statutory business registries through two integrated online platforms: the Business Entities Registry (for companies, business names, business groups, and associations) and the Personal Property Securities Registry (PPSR) for security interests in movable property. It also delivers Foreign Enterprise Certification under the Investment Promotion Act 1992, houses the Intellectual Property Office of PNG (IPOPNG), and provides Investor Servicing and Export Promotion services for foreign and local businesses. All filings, searches, and compliance processes are conducted through the ipa.gov.pg online portal.

Product overview

The Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) operates a comprehensive online registry platform consisting of two core products: the Business Entities Registry (for companies, business names, business groups, and associations) and the Personal Property Securities Registry (PPSR for security interests in movable property). The platform is complemented by the Intellectual Property Office of PNG (IPOPNG) sub-brand, Investor Servicing services, and Foreign Enterprise Certification services. All filing and registration processes are conducted through the online portal, with the system supporting name reservations, entity searches, document ordering, and regulatory compliance filings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Entities Registry Online registry for companies, business names, business groups, and associations in Papua New Guinea. Allows searching, registering, and filing of business entities through the ipa.gov.pg platform. Supports entity search, name availability search, name reservation, annual return filing, director changes, share changes, amalgamation, restoration, and other compliance filings.
• Personal Property Securities Registry (PPSR) Online registry for registering notices of security interests in movable property (collateral) and searching for existing security interests. Used by lenders, banks, and trade creditors to secure interests over movable property. Supports debtor searches, VIN searches, notice amendments, continuations, discharges, and certified search reports. Basic searches are free; certified searches cost K5.
• Intellectual Property Office of PNG (IPOPNG) Administers the Trade Marks Act, Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act 2000, and Patents and Industrial Design Act 2000. Handles protection of intellectual property rights in PNG, including trademark registration, patent filing, copyright protection, and industrial design registration. Operates as a division within IPA's mandate.
• Foreign Enterprise Certification Certification service for foreign enterprises under Section 28 of the Investment Promotion Act 1992. All foreign enterprises (50%+ non-citizen owned) must obtain certification before conducting business in PNG. Applications cover overseas companies, local companies, individuals, and trusts/partnerships/joint ventures at K2000 per application, with certain association categories certified free of charge.
• Investor Servicing and Export Promotion Provides information on investment opportunities in PNG and export opportunities to international markets. Creates awareness on investment queries, facilitates business introductions, and shares investor-related information about PNG, including the Invest in PNG Guide and sector-specific investor guides.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM): Malaysia's statutory registrar of companies and businesses, administering the Companies Act, business registration, and LLPs — a Southeast Asian emerging-market peer with similar scope to IPA across company and business-name registries.
• Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Nigeria: Nigeria's federal authority for company incorporation, business name registration, and incorporated trustees — a comparable African emerging-market peer performing the same statutory registry role as IPA, including trustee/association oversight.
• New Zealand Companies Office (MBIE): New Zealand's statutory company registrar under MBIE, administering company incorporation, annual returns, and the Personal Property Securities Register — a structurally identical registry-in-a-Pacific-jurisdiction peer to IPA.
• Singapore Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA): Singapore's integrated regulator for business registration, corporate compliance, public accountants, and the Personal Property Securities Registry — functionally the closest one-stop-shop analog to IPA, combining company registration, PPSR-equivalent, and business licensing in a single authority.
• Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): Philippines SEC handles company registration, securities regulation, and foreign investment registration — an emerging-market national corporate registry with similar scope to IPA, including investor-facing functions in a developing economy.
• UK Companies House: UK's statutory registrar of companies, operating a fully digital registry for company incorporation, annual returns (confirmation statements), and document ordering — closely mirrors IPA's Business Entities Registry function at a national level, but at vastly larger scale and with longer digital-maturity track record.
• Hong Kong Companies Registry: Hong Kong's Companies Registry handles local and non-Hong Kong company registration, annual returns, and document ordering through its integrated online system (CR-iAMIS) — a directly comparable national company registry with digital-first delivery.
• Kenya Business Registration Services (BRS): Kenya's integrated business registration authority, combining company registration, business names, and security interests registration — closely analogous to IPA's combined Business Entities + PPSR model in a comparable emerging-economy context.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC): Australia's national corporate regulator, administering company registration, business names, and the PPSR but operating at much greater scale and with broader enforcement and securities-supervision mandates beyond IPA's narrower registry focus.
• Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) India: India's central authority administering the Companies Act, LLP Act, and related corporate filings through the MCA21 portal — a comparable registry-plus-regulator role at much greater scale and complexity, including insolvency and competition commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pngipa
• Facebookfacebook.com/InvestmentPromotionAuthority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Investment Promotion Authority