The Reset PNG@50 Roadmap – Papua New Guinea’s official reform blueprint guiding national policy, planning, and implementation over the next 20 years – was tabled in Parliament today (27.11.25).
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape presented the document, labelling it the document of the nation and not of any one government.”
“It is important that the people of PNG understand that this is not an assessment by the Marape-Rosso Government, but an assessment of all governments since Independence – a collective reflection of our national journey.
“This roadmap is not the work of my government but the work of the nation, produced through an open, rigorous, and inclusive process.
The Prime Minister said such a review was demanded because after 50 years of Independence, it was necessary to return to evaluate the performance of governments and the corresponding level of service delivery to the people of PNG, and see how the country was placed in terms of tangible development.
“The 50-year review found that progress has been slow and uneven; that our human development indicators remain among the lowest in the Pacific; that wealth from our natural resources has not translated into widespread prosperity; and that trust in government institutions has eroded.
The document is organised around five guiding principles and supported by two major reform interventions.
1. Protecting the Sanctity and Integrity of the Constitution
• Restoring constitutional balance by considering a bicameral Parliament and two-term limit for the Prime Minister.
• Restore budget integrity, close loopholes, and operationalise the Sovereign Wealth Fund to safeguard resource wealth for future generations.
2. Advancing Human Development and the Family
• Enable universal access to voluntary family planning and maternal health, working closely with churches and civil society organisations.
• Deliver universal power and internet connectivity by reforming PNG Power liberalising telecommunications, and extending ser- vices to rural communities.
3. Leveraging Data and Evidence for Decision-Making
• Institutionalise evidence-based governance, ensuring all major decisions are supported by data and cost-benefit analysis.
• Build a trusted national identity system integrated with health, education, and social protection systems.
4. Enabling Smart, Sustainable, and Inclusive Growth
• Enshrine private-sector-led, government-facilitated growth as official policy; reform SOEs, accelerate investment, and modernise agriculture.
• Free up land for development using voluntary best-practice models, respecting customary ownership while unlocking housing and agricultural potential.
5. Ensuring Accountability, Transparency, and Delivery
• Reform the public service through a whole-of-government functional audit, remove ghost names from the payroll, and link pay to performance.
• Strengthen delivery through and Project Management Unit full operationalisation of the National Monitoring and Coordination Authority.
The 50-year review and roadmap were commissioned by the National Executive Council to mark PNG’s Golden Jubilee and developed independently by a steering committee chaired by Charles Abel and Arthur Somare as deputy chair. The team was supported by a technical committee of professionals and researchers drawn from the private sector, NRI, CIMC, ANU, and the UNDP.