A secret Papua New Guinea (PNG) cabinet document has passed into the hands of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). This agreement clarifies seventy priority development and infrastructure projects. The document reveals grandiose plans for the country's future, including acquiring a luxury island, constructing a world-class Formula 1 track, and developing a "Silicon Valley style hub" for entrepreneurs. PNG Prime Minister James Marape drew attention to these concepts as being mid-term to long-term developments. The critics pointed to worries about the ambitious scope of some proposals being too much. All the funding they plan to allocate is supposedly only enough for feasibility studies and to hire the big consulting firms for public engagement.
PNG's Grand Vision
Prime Minister James Marape quickly made it clear that the government has no intention of funding these initiatives through direct budget appropriations. Rather, we will explore the role of the private sector, and how they can engage with potential government incentives.
"Few of them will get direct government funding. Most are for private sector engagements with government incentives to be given." – James Marape
One of the most ambitious proposals on the list includes a collaboration with a Congolese rapper to purchase an entire luxury island. Further, other proposals would create post-quantum cryptography solutions and create a new spy agency with training from Israel. Though these projects hold the potential for immense change, detractors criticize their viability in light of PNG’s present-day obstacles.
Criticism and Challenges
The plan has already faced backlash for some of its more far-fetched proposals. Rainbo Paita, PNG’s Minister Assisting the Prime Minister, acknowledged that the proposals are very aspirational. He noted that they were created under very heavy direction from the private sector.
"The unrealistic ideas are all driven by investors showing and talking to government." – Rainbo Paita
Under all those lofty aspirations, PNG’s underlying state and issues in health, education and security are dire. The country’s national budget is locked into an ever-growing spiral of indebtedness to Australian loans, now in excess of $3 billion.
"The country has received six budget support loans in as many years from Australia to plug gaps and meet minimal service-delivery standards." – Mihai Sora
Additionally, an investigation linked Australian businessmen involved in PNG's largest agroforestry project to a land grab scandal in the Western Province. This at best is cause for concern about the extent to which foreign influences could shape PNG’s development strategies inappropriately.
Feasibility and Future Directions
The projects detailed in the leaked document all focus on feasibility studies first, not actions taken on the ground anytime soon, if at all. As Rainbo Paita warned, government funding is only available to hire big four-type firms to do these checks.
"Government will not put up any funding. The funding allocated is just for feasibility studies and engagement of firms like the big four." – Rainbo Paita
Yet for every observer marveling at the brilliance of these proposals, there’s an equally critical view that claims they distract from focusing on urgent domestic priorities.
"It's just baffling that they would even consider and sign their name to some of these ambitious projects." – Mihai Sora
We were disappointed about one thing—critics did not call on the government to focus on the grassroots’s requirements like better schools, hospitals and infrastructure. As Assemblymember Lynette Simon said in her opening remarks, the plans have to match what’s going on in the community.
"The government must come down to the level of grassroots people too when making its plans … improve school, hospitals and even roads." – Lynette Simon
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