A new six-year partnership between the World Bank (WB) and Papua New Guinea is set to back government efforts to create more jobs, improve basic services, and build longer-term resilience, according to a press release. The Country Partnership Framework, approved on 17 February 2026, will guide support through 2031 and is aligned with national development priorities.
Papua New Guinea has significant natural resources but struggles to translate this wealth into better living conditions, especially for people in remote areas with limited infrastructure. The new framework puts jobs at the centre and focuses on four main priorities: building skills and human capital, connecting communities to roads, power and other basic services, strengthening economic governance, and supporting private sector growth and economic diversification, including in agriculture.
The partnership will channel investments into education, health and nutrition in a context where the country’s Human Capital Index is just 0.42. It will also help expand access to electricity, transport and local infrastructure so rural communities can take a more active part in the economy. At the same time, it will support reforms to improve how revenues from natural resources are managed, aiming to direct more public funding toward people and essential infrastructure.
World Bank officials say the goal is to turn Papua New Guinea’s “immense natural wealth and extraordinary human potential” into real opportunities and jobs, while strengthening institutions and resilience. Over the six years, the World Bank Group expects to provide around US$1.2 billion in financing and to help mobilise private investment, improve transparency and reinforce economic governance so that future growth delivers more tangible benefits for Papua New Guineans.
