Working in partnership with the PNG Government, the World Bank is currently supporting 11 active projects across the country worth approximately US$503 million (PGK1.772 billion). Learn more about our overall program here.
Transport
The US$108 million (approx. PGK381 million) Resilient Transport Project will fund the rehabilitation of 63kms of the Ramu and Hiritano highways, and fund extended maintenance of nearly 200kms of critical transport links. The project builds upon the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Project (RMRP II) which has helped restore more than 236 kilometers of roads across PNG. More than 50 national and provincial bridges have also been rehabilitated, maintained and/or replaced as part of RMRP II, with an estimated 1.3 million people – 27% of PNG’s population – benefitting from this support.
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Resilient Transport Project PNG
Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Project Phase II (closed)
Agriculture & Food
The US$40 million (approx. PGK142 million) PNG Agriculture Commercialization & Diversification Project builds on the success of the Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project, which supported more than 67,000 coffee and cocoa farmers to build their skills, productivity and access to markets. The new project will continue to support coffee and cocoa growers as well as farmers of small livestock and crops such as coconut and spices.
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Water & Sanitation
Through the US$70 million (PGK223 million) Water Supply and Sanitation Development Project the World Bank is supporting the PNG Department of National Planning & Monitoring and Water PNG as part of the Government of Papua New Guinea’s Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH) policy to improve access to clean and reliable water supply services for people in 6 towns across the country.
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Social Protection & Jobs
The US$35 million (PGK79 million) Urban Youth Employment Project II aims to improve the capacity of young men and women to engage in productive income generating activities. In Port Moresby, its predecessor, the Urban Youth Empolyment Project, helped 18,500 unemployed Papua New Guineans -40% of whom are women-to undertake vocational training and fully subsidized work placements, creating over 815,000 days of work. UYEPII extends the program into Lae, PNG’s industrial hub and second largest city.
Additionally, the US$32 million (PGK112 million) Enhancing Labor Mobility from Papua New Guinea project will help PNG benefit from rapidly expanding employment opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. This new project will support the PNG Government to boost equitable access and worker readiness for these programs, with a focus on women and disadvantaged groups, and help workers reintegrate when they return.
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Health
The World Bank is also supporting PNG’s pressing health challenges.
The US$90 million (approx. PGK318m) PNG Child Nutrition and Social Protection Project will be multi-sectoral and support implementation of the ‘PNG CARES’ (Community-based Approach to Reduce and End Stunting) initiative.
Additionally, the US$15 million (PGK34m) Emergency Tuberculosis (TB) Project is now in its fourth year and has helped PNG achieve major inroads to reduce the spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in key hotspots throughout PNG.
In June 2021, in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the World Bank approved US$30 million (approximately PGK105m) for the country’s COVID-19 response, in addition to the US$20 million approved in 2020. This additional funding supported the scale-up of deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to prioritized communities and training of vaccine delivery workers.
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Emergency Tuberculosis Project
Improving Access to Health Services in PNG
Social Sustainability & Inclusion
The US$28.5 million (approx. PGK82m) Rural Service Delivery Project’s main objective is to support communities' access to basic infrastructure and services in targeted rural areas using inclusive, participatory planning and implementation.
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Energy
The US $30 million (PGK105 million) Energy Utility Performance & Reliability Project aims to support the rehabilitation, reinforcement and upgrade of infrastructure on the Port Moresby, Ramu and Gazelle grids owned and operated by PNG Power Limited (PPL).
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PNG Energy Utility Performance & Reliability Project