The new Minister for National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM), Sir Ano Pala, is commencing work in the ministry, through a call for alignment of development plans.
This includes development partnership strategies to implement PNG’s Medium-Term Development Plan IV 2023 – 2027 (MTDP IV).
On 7th July 2023, the MTDP IV was launched by the Prime Minister, James Marape, as it sets the government’s policy direction as a country and a people to achieve 3 objectives: (i) Grow the economy to K200 billion by 2030; (ii) Create 1 million additional jobs; and (iii) Improve the quality of lives for all citizens.
Sir Ano said this is the pinnacle action plan of government in this medium term that strives to achieve PNG’s vision 2050 to be a smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy society.
“We need to be in to be aligned for us to be collectively on the same development pathway for this country,” said Sir Ano.
In the MTDP IV, the Government has set 12 Strategic Priority Areas (SPAs), with corresponding Deliberate Intervention Programs (DIPs), respectively.
“These will chart the way for us to achieve key development outcomes in these 5 years using the financial resources allocated through the national budget and other development cooperation support programs.”
He continued that the national government’s Public Investment Programs (PIP) including the Provincial and District Service Improvement Programs (PSIPs/DSIPs) and Provincial and District Infrastructure Programs are to be implemented under the aligned development plans.
In October and November 2023, DNPM carried out comprehensive alignment consultations with all key stakeholders including Sub-National and Sector agencies of Government, including Development Partners, to ensure that their Development Plans and Country Partnership Strategies are aligned to MTDP IV.
“I am calling on all National Government Departments and Agencies, Provincial Governments, District Development Authorities, Development Partners (Bilateral Partners, Multilateral Partners, and Philanthropic Agencies), the Private Sector, and Civil Society Organizations to align your respective Development Plans, Country Partnership Strategies, Community Service Obligations, and Country Investment Plans to the MTDP IV SPAs. This should then be officially submitted to the Ministry and DNPM for the vetting and clearance processes.
“All Provincial, District and Sector Development Plans must be sanctioned by DNPM before it is launched,” the minister concluded.