Photo credit: Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific
Australia will provide $158 million for repairs and refurbishments to Papua New Guinea's electricity and transportation networks under the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific.
A $86 million finance package for the Laitim Hauslain project to upgrade national electricity infrastructure is part of Australia's contribution. This initiative will provide power to 30,000 to 40,000 houses, schools, and clinics in the provinces of Morobe and East New Britain, many of which will be connected for the first time.
The Australian funding is part of the PNG Electrification Partnership, which aims to reach 70% electrification by 2030, an important goal for the Papua New Guinean government. Improved access to electricity would help Papua New Guineans achieve better economic and development results, as well as assist economic growth in local communities and enhance the delivery of essential services.
Australia has also committed $72 million to the national road network, which will help link communities and enhance access to markets. The funds will help the Papua New Guinea Department of Works and Highways repair and maintain roughly 359 kilometres of road along the Wau Highway in Morobe Province and the Sepik Highway in East Sepik and West Sepik (Sandaun) provinces.
The money will help with the design of the projected Trans-National Highway. This will help the Papua New Guinean government move on with its key Connect PNG Strategy, a 20-year strategy to improve critical links throughout the country's four regions.
Both investments will create jobs for Papua New Guineans and use local resources to help the country grow.
Reference: Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (31 March 2022). “Lighting houses and connecting communities in Papua New Guinea”.
