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RNZ News
04-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Poverty persists across PNG and Pacific despite economic growth
The World Bank report says PNG has some of the poorest nutrition outcomes in the world. (file image) Photo: RNZ Pacific / Johnny Blades About half of Papua New Guinea's population lives on less than US$3.65 a day, and there has been little change in monetary well being since a 2010 survey, according to the World Bank. The report said the country has some of the poorest nutrition outcomes in the world, with almost half of children under the age of five being stunted. In 2022, only 19 percent of the population had access to safe drinking water, and 15 percent to electricity. A quarter of the youth were not in training, education, and employment. Save the Children's Pacific regional director Kim Koch said economic growth does not necessarily equate to people being lifted out of poverty. "Unfortunately, a lot of times, the investments in that economic growth is not always directed toward breaking poverty or addressing the safety nets that the most vulnerable families and children really need," Koch said. The report said since gaining independent in 1975, the economy has more than tripled. However, real GDP per capita has only seen an annual increase of 0.9 percent. "The most recent Household Income and Expenditure Survey, from 2010, revealed that 40 percent of the population lived below the national poverty line of US$2.15 per day. "Despite the lack of an official poverty rate since 2010, household surveys suggest little change in monetary wellbeing," it said. Koch said poverty is driving food insecurity and violence. "Those consequences are intergenerational," she said. "It is hard to break the cycle of poverty unless you have specific, dedicated investments in that purpose." She said it is often children's education, safety, and health that suffer. "That is usually because families are investing in just their basic needs, and things like sending their kids to school, having a nutritious diet, seeking medical care are often lower on the priority list." The report also said Fiji is struggling to raise its living standards to match its income level. The nation achieved upper-middle-income status in 2014 but 50.1 percent of the population lived under US$6.85 a day in 2024. However, extreme poverty - those living on less than US$2.15 a day - had almost been eliminated. Poverty in Fiji - those living under US$6.85 a day - is on a downward trend. It was at 52.6 percent in 2019 and projected to be at 48.7 percent in 2025 and 45.5 percent in 2027, driven by economic growth which is expected to sit at 3.2 percent in 2027. Fiji Council of Social Services executive director Vani Catanasiga said it is encouraging growth is increasing and poverty decreasing, but more could be done. "We feel that there needs to be better effort at empowering women and youth, particularly when we look at the issues surrounding the labour force," she said. In Solomon Islands, a phone survey by the World Bank in 2024 found about half of all households are worried about their finances. The report said food insecurity remains high, with about half the population eating less than they thought they should in the past 30 days. "According to the 2012/13 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 61 percent of the population was considered poor based on the lower-middle-income poverty line (US$3.65 per day)," it said. However, the economy is expected to grow by an average of 2.7 percent from 2025 to 2027 and poverty rates are projected to decline as a result. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 25 April
Electoral Commission headquarters. Photo: RNZI/ Johnny Blades The writs for the Local Level Government elections in Papua New Guinea have been signed by the Minister for Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs, Soroei Eoe, on Thursday, marking the beginning of the election process. Nomination are now open as people prepare to contest for 374 local level government (LLG) spots, and 6,916 wards across PNG. In the seven Highlands provinces, along with Morobe, the LLG presidents will be chosen indirectly by ward councillors. But in the other provinces voters will elect both the ward councillors and LLG presidents. This marks the first time the Electoral Commission will implement both voting methods simultaneously. A man has admitted fatally shooting a 12-year-old in his sleeping net, when he appeared in the Supreme Court in Samoa. The Samoa Observer reported the 27-year-old from the Salelavalu in Savai'i could face a minimum of 17 years in jail. The newspaper said the defendant became angry after the boy reported an extramarital affair the man had with the youth's sister. The accused has been remanded in custody for sentencing. A high-level Pacific Islands Forum delegation has met with US officials. The chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Prime Minister of Tonga, 'Aisake Eke, and the Forum's Secretary-General, Baron Waqa, are in the US as part of efforts to secure funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility. The facility is a Pacific-based climate fund for community resilience building. A meeting with the US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz focused on strengthening engagement between the PIF and the US. The Forum delegation also met with the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau. The United States has been a Forum dialogue partner since 1989. Inmates in Papua New Guinea, who are in jail while awaiting court appearances, have appealed to the prime minister to consider releasing them as part of the country's anniversary celebrations. PNG is celebrating 50 years of independence this year. The Post-Courier reported their call was relayed to PM James Marape on Easter Monday by Acting Commissioner of Correctional Services, Bernard Nepo. He said a lot of prisoners have been in the prison system for between 5-10 years "without having justice served on them". Nepo said this group of inmates and others who qualify needed to be released on parole during the country's golden jubilee. Marape said he does not have that authority but justice services will look into this process. The Fiji government has achieved a fiscal surplus for the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, marking the first surplus since late 2019. This is stated by Westpac in its latest quarterly update on the Fijian economy, published on Tuesday. Westpac said that positive outcomes were driven by higher tax collections and effective compliance measures, resulting in government revenue exceeding forecasts, while expenditures lagged behind. However, they also expected Fiji's economy to grow by 2.7 percent in 2025, lower than an earlier projection of 3.4 percent. They noted that tourism arrival numbers are down compared to where they would normally be. Westpac stated the downturn in visitor arrivals during the first quarter of 2025 raises concerns about the domestic economic outlook, compounded by global uncertainty. New Zealand's Police Commissioner Richard Chambers is travelling to Fiji and Samoa next week. PMN reported Mr Chambers plans to meet with police leaders and teams in Fiji and Samoa. Chambers said New Zealand Police is dedicated to being easy to work with and offering support, especially during challenging times. He leaves for Fiji on 28 April.
