Pacific Magazine > 2007 Pacific Almanac
Papua New Guinea
The Basics
Population: 5.62 million
Capital: Port Moresby
Land Area: 452,860 sq. km.
Political Status and Form of Government: Independent member of the British Commonwealth. Democratically-elected government, multi-party system.
Languages: English, Tok Pisin, Motu (more than 700 identified languages)
Currency: Kina (PGK) & Toea
Number of Islands: Eastern half of New Guinea, other smaller islands including New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville and many small groups.
The Numbers
Gross Domestic Product: US$5.7 billion
Gross Domestic Product per capita: US$770 (2008 est.)
Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 6.2% (2008 est.)
National Budget: K8.99 billion (US$3.056 billion) (2008 est.)
Aid per capita: K1.123 billion (US$381.82 million) (2008 est.) Total not per capita
Life Expectancy: Male: 64.56 years Female:
Ethnicity: Melanesian
Nationality: Papua New Guinean
Age Distribution:0-14 years: 38.3%, 15-64 years: 58.%, 65+: 3.8%
Population Growth Rate: 1.8%
People in Power
Head of Government: Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
Cabinet Members: Dr. Puka Temu, Deputy Prime Minister, Mining, and Lands and Physical Planning; Sasa Zibe, Health and HIV/AIDS; Dame Carol Kidu, Community Development; Tony Aimo, Correctional Services; Charlie Able, Culture and Tourism; Bob Dadae, Defense; Michael Laimo, Education; William Duma, Petroleum and Energy; Ben Semri, Fisheries and Marine Resources; Patrick Pruaitch, Treasury and Finance; Mark Maipakai, Labor and Industrial Relations; Andrew Kumbakor, Housing; Sam Abal, Foreign Affairs; Job Pomat, Inter-Government Relations; John Hickey, Agriculture and Livestock; Peter O’Neill, Public Service; Arthur Somare, Public Enterprises; Patrick Tammur, Information and Communication; Paul Tiensten, National Planning and District Development; Gabriel Kapris, Trade and Industry; Don Polye, Transport and Civil Aviation; Benny Allen, Environment and Conservation; Suni Rambe, Internal Security; Dr Allan Marat, Justice and Attorney General; Michael Laimo, Higher Education; Belden Namah, Forests; Philemon Embel, State Assisting the Prime Minister on Constitutional Matters.
Representative Body: Unicameral National Parliament with 109 seats
Regional Organizations
ACP, APEC, ARF, ADB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WCPFC, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Media & Internet Service Providers
Radio: 19 AM, 8 FM stations
TV: one station EMTV
Newspapers: two daily national newspapers, the Post Courier and The National
ISPs: Daltron, Datec, Global Technologies, Data Nets. Additional links provided by Telikom PNG, University of Technology, and dialup connections
Telecommunications: services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services; submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international radio communication service
Recent News
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare’s National Alliance Party returned with 27 members, the highest number of winning candidates of the 2007 general elections, thereby getting the invitation from the Governor General in August 2007 to form the next government. Continued high commodity prices in the early part of 2007 and strong fiscal discipline enabled the new Somare government to amass a revenue windfall and hand down a supplementary budget in October of K1.637 billion (US$556.580 million) in addition to the 2008 national budget of K8.99 billion (US$3.056 billion) – to bring the total value of the money-plan to a record K10.627 billion (US$3.613 billion).
Rural-based development programs that are aligned with the government’s medium-term development strategy continued to get priority in funding from the government’s K1.887 billion (US$641.58 million) development budget.
In fact, since the commodity boom began to boost Government revenues in 2005, there has been more than K3.8 billion provided for additional expenditures through supplementary budgets (in November 2005: K400 million, August 2006: K682.5 million, November 2006: K1,100 million and October 2007: K1,637 million).
The government‘s budget seeks to spread the benefits arising from the commodity price boom right across the country. A key aspect of the budget is the allocation of K534 million (US$181.56 million) to the districts which comes on top of the K356 million (US$121.04 million) already allocated to the districts in the 2007 supplementary budget.
According to the government, the PNG economy is expected to experience its strongest real economic growth in over a decade with GDP increasing by 6.6 per cent in 2008, underpinned by sustained strong global growth and robust domestic conditions.
However, annual inflation as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) is projected to be 5.2 per cent in 2008. This outlook reflects the build up in inflationary pressures from the fast growth in money supply, the increased terms of trade and the fiscal stimulus from the Supplementary Budgets in 2006 and 2007.
Airlines, Shippers Serving Countrys
Air: Air Niugini, Qantas, Airlines PNG
Shippers: Bank Line, Pacific Forum Line, Local inter-island traders.
Main Government Contact
Office of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
Morauta House, Waigani, P.O. BOX 639, WAIGANI, Papua New Guinea
Email:
pmsmedia@pm.gov.pg
Web:
www.pm.gov.pg/
Sources and Papua New Guinea on the Web
Investment Promotion Authority
www.ipa.gov.pg/
CIA Fact Book
www.cia.gov/
Tourism Promotion Authority
www.tpa.gov.pg/
PNG Department of Treasury
www.treasury.gov.pg/
PNG Department of Finance
www.finance.gov.pg/
Map courtesy UH Press, The Pacific Islands; an Encyclopedia
Click map for larger image
