Donors collaborate in PNG - Many challenges faced in delivering aid

The EU closely cooperates with France and the United Kingdom, the only two EU countries with separate aid programmes in PNG; with Australia – the biggest donor to PNG,  New Zealand and with  multi-lateral agencies. The remoteness of communities, big population growth and a lack of local administrative capacity are all challenges in delivering aid in the country. 

France’s Ambassador to Papua New Guinea (PNG), Alain Waquet, explains that the bulk of French assistance is given through the European Development Fund and international agencies. France’s small bi-lateral assistance mainly funds the projects of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) under a ‘Fonds Pacifique’ (Pacific Funds).  It also includes a ‘French Fund for Economic, Social and Cultural Cooperation in the Pacific’ targeted at integration of France’s "collectivities" (French administrative divisions)  -  New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Fortuna -  with the wider Pacific. This includes funding for the recent construction of the IKundi airstrip and its buildings in PNG’s eastern highlands. France’s total bi-lateral funding to PNG last year amounted to €171,000. The United Kingdom also gives funding to PNG through the EDF and other multilateral agencies and for small projects from its €460,342 Pacific Bilateral Fund for Fiji, PNG and the Solomon Islands falling under the themes of climate change, governance, security, human rights and networking.

Just a hop, skip and a jump from PNG, Australia is the single largest donor to PNG which is the biggest global recipient of Australian aid, along with Indonesia. Australia increased its overall overseas aid budget by half a billion dollars for the period 2010-2011 to 4.8bn Australian dollars (€3.59bn) with an increase for PNG alone from 457M (€341) to 482M (€360) Australian dollars. “In PNG there is extreme hardship. Over one million Papua New Guineans live in extremely remote areas where the income is very low, the social indicators are very poor and across the board PNG is not on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)”, explains Stephanie Copus-Campbell, Head of the Australian Aid programme in PNG.

Challenges

Aid delivery to the country faces particularly difficult challenges including the remoteness of communities, with no roads in many areas, and high population growth currently standing at 2.7 per cent. “We have recently undergone a major review of our aid programme in PNG and are narrowing our focus to really achieve results in four areas; health including HIV, education   a flagship sector   and we will also continue our support in transport infrastructure as well as selectively engaging in law and justice sectors which are both very important for service delivery”, says the Ausaid Head.

Meetings with donors – the EU and others -  take place at least on a monthly basis. “We talk about issues such as the distribution of text books e.g. who is publishing which text books to make sure that there is no crossover. And I am really pleased that the EU has been doing water supply. It’s a huge need here”, says Stephanie Copus-Campbell. 

(1) To read the full interview with Stephanie Copus Campbell see: www.acp-eucourier.info

Debra Percival