The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s (RPNGC) partnership with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has reached an agreement on infrastructure support to invest in improving the living conditions of police.
The agreement will see the provision of police housing, valued at AU$37 million (around K100 million) over four years.
Police Commissioner, David Manning said a large part of the support will be utilised in improving living conditions for Papua New Guinea police through the building and renovation of the barracks and accommodation.
“The Papua New Guinea police force is undertaking a large expansion that will see personnel numbers increase year-on-year. We are rebuilding the police force to meet the needs of our communities and Australia is an important partner in this process,” Commissioner Manning said at the end of the meeting with Australian Federal Police Officers in Port Moresby yesterday.
“We must ensure new police and existing personnel and their families are properly accommodated as the police force expands so that we can confront the challenges our two countries face today and into the future.
“Working together we have interrupted drug trafficking operations that have methamphetamine off the streets in both countries, and we are dealing with the rising threat of organised criminal networks.
“I thank Australia for its commitment to invest in barracks and accommodation facilities for Papua New Guinea police personnel, and between both countries, we will make sure money is spent properly in all provinces.
“The Australian commitment will cover around ten provinces not covered by the support.”
“Infrastructure investment under the partnership supported by the investment from the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary will see the rapid expansion of police accommodation facilities to meet deployment needs in the National Capital District, East New Britain, West New Britain, New Ireland, Milne Bay, Western Highlands Province, Hela, England, Madang, and Morobe Province.
“With the support of the National Government, I am committing our domestic budget to see police infrastructure investment in all provinces, including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, to meet the deployment needs of our growing police force.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner Manning has called for support from members of parliament from each province and district.
“With the endorsement of the National Executive Council, I call on all leaders and elected officials to support us as we invest in the future of policing. I am committing recurrent funding and I call on our leaders across the country to help us meet the needs of both our police force and our communities through their district and provincial support budgets.”