Papua New Guinea’s national economic and development strategy

Prime Minister James Marape Credit: PMNEC

While government policies and priorities may vary from year to year, there has been a broad political commitment in PNG to pursuing a development framework covering the period up to 2050.

This includes a vision statement and five-year development plans.

These are overseen by the Department of National Planning and Monitoring and are intended to apply to all state agencies, including government departments, provincial administrations, state-owned enterprises, commodity boards, authorities and universities.

Vision 2050

The PNG Government has instituted a long-term national strategic plan, Vision 2050, launched in 2009, with the vision of creating ‘a smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy society by 2050’.

Vision 2050 maps out PNG’s development initiatives through to 2050, and identifies seven strategic focus areas considered essential to the country’s economic growth and development:

• Human Capital Development, Gender, Youth and People Empowerment
• Wealth Creation
• Institutional Development and Service Delivery
• Security and International Relations
• Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change
• Spiritual, Cultural and Community Development and
• Strategic Planning, Integration and Control.

Reset @50

In 2025, the Marape-Rosso Government launched Reset @50, consisting of a review of national development in the first 50 years since independence and a roadmap for the next 20 years.

Five main principles were established for Reset @50:

1. Protecting the sanctity and integrity of the constitution
2. Advancing human development and the family
3. Leveraging data and evidence for decision making
4. Enabling smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
5. Ensuring accountability, transparency and impact

The roadmap outlines three clear reform horizons:

• 0–2 years: Recovery, quick results, and rebuilding trust
• 0–5 years: Structural reforms, strengthening systems, restoring accountability
• 0–20 years: Major national transformation – connectivity, productivity, and prosperity

Medium Term Development Plan, 2023-2027

PNG’s economic direction is dictated by the Medium Term Development Plan IV 2023-2027. It describes the priorities and actions of the Government using a five-year outlook from 2023 and is aligned with PNG’s five-year electoral cycle.

The MTDP IV is different from the past MTDPs. It identifies sectoral targets, strategic priority areas, funding modalities, partnerships, implementation, and accountability structures that are underpinned by stringent monitoring and evaluation processes.

There are 12 key Strategic Priority Areas:

1. Strategic economic investment
2. Connect PNG infrastructure
3. Quality and affordable health care
4. Quality education and skilled human capital
5. Rule of law and restorative justice
6. National security
7. National revenue and public finance management
8. Digital government, national statistics and public service governance
9. Research, science and technology
10. Climate change and natural environment protection
11. Population, youth and women empowerment
12. Strategic partnerships