ADB’s Five-Year Plan Backs Better Services and More Jobs Across Papua New Guinea

ADB Country Director for Papua New Guinea Takafumi Kadono said the country had improved economic stability, with more work needed to translate its resources into sustained growth and lasting prosperity.

Papua New Guinea's natural resource wealth offers opportunities for growth, but turning that wealth into better services, reliable infrastructure and more jobs remains a central development challenge. The Asian Development Bank's new country partnership strategy for 2026–2030 will support stronger public finances, wider transport and energy connections, and improved access to health, education and other essential services, helping the country build a more diversified economy that benefits more people.

ADB Country Director for Papua New Guinea Takafumi Kadono said the country had improved economic stability, with more work needed to translate its resources into sustained growth and lasting prosperity. The five-year partnership will bring together the government, ADB and development partners to support a more inclusive, resilient and productive economy, connecting economic progress with higher living standards and greater opportunities for Papua New Guineans.

Stronger Public Finances to Support Everyday Needs

Investments and policy support will focus on improving how public money is managed, strengthening oversight of the resource sector and making it easier for businesses to invest, operate and grow. These changes are intended to increase government revenue and direct public resources toward development priorities, including essential services that people rely on in their daily lives.

Stronger public financial management is closely connected to the strategy's broader development goals, because funding health care, education and infrastructure depends on the government's ability to collect revenue and use it effectively. Better resource-sector oversight and a more supportive business environment form part of that effort, helping create conditions for economic activity to translate into wider public benefits.

Better Connections and Skills for More Communities

ADB investments in transport, energy and agricultural logistics will help more people and businesses reach markets and public services, expanding economic opportunities for groups that have been underserved. Connecting producers with buyers and communities with essential services is a practical part of the strategy's push to create jobs and support a broader range of economic activity.

Support for secondary education and skills development will help people gain job-ready abilities, with investment in health systems, water, sanitation and social inclusion addressing other foundations of productivity and well-being. These priorities connect the country's economic ambitions with people's capacity to participate in them, giving education, health and access to basic services a central place in efforts to diversify the economy.

Private Investment, Safer Communities and Greater Resilience

Private sector support will concentrate on infrastructure investment, stronger business competitiveness and improved access to finance, helping position Papua New Guinea within responsible resource and agribusiness value chains that can withstand disruption. ADB will use initiatives including the ADB Wayfinder (Pacific) Program and ADB Frontier Seed (Pacific) to help prepare and finance projects, supporting the development of private investment opportunities.

Work across the partnership will expand digitalization to improve access to services and deepen regional and global cooperation and trade, with active private sector engagement running through the strategy. ADB will build on efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, alongside measures to strengthen resilience to natural hazards and disasters and support nature conservation. These commitments place safety, inclusion and environmental protection within the country's wider development agenda.