Papua New Guinea

How we give aid to Papua New Guinea

The Australian aid program in PNG is implemented in accordance with the PNG–Australia Partnership for Development. This sets out mutually agreed priorities and commits Australia and PNG to work together to achieve improved development outcomes and sustainable improvements in the quality of life for all Papua New Guineans. AusAID’s approach to delivering its aid program in PNG has also been informed by a major independent Review of the PNG–Australia Development Cooperation Treaty, released in 2010.

A large component of Australian aid supports national government departments and agencies. We are also working at the provincial and local levels and delivering services directly where needed, including medical supplies and textbooks. Our aim is to help the people that need to be helped now whilst helping the government strengthen its ability to deliver essential services in the future. We focus on a few core areas such as health and education, where Australia has particular strengths and where impact is likely to be greatest.

Australia delivers the majority of its official development assistance with the help of managing contractors who help us provide technical assistance, infrastructure and other services, including essential funds to the Government and non-government organisations. We also collaborate with non-government organisations (NGOs), churches, civil society, other donors, regional organisations (such as the Asia Pacific Technical College) and multilaterals (such as the World Bank) to provide support in areas where they have expertise and local knowledge.

Australia and PNG have signed a statement on zero tolerance of fraud in the aid program. Both Governments pledged to ensure that the aid programme is transparently programmed and managed and delivered effectively for the benefit of PNG citizens. As part of this commitment, the Government of Australia agreed to use PNG Government systems and procedures where these processes are suitably robust to minimise the risk of Australian aid funding being lost to fraud or corruption; and where there is a demonstrated development benefit for PNG. Both Governments reaffirmed the aid effectiveness principles to which they are equal signatories including the localised version which is the PNG Commitment on Aid Effectiveness, 2008–2012 [PDF 148kb] (external website).