Rai Coast, 3 January 2025. As we stand on the cusp of 50 years of Independence we pause to reflect,
learn, plan and adjust. We have come far as a nation but there is both more to do and much we can
do better. Nation building is everybody’s business. Each of us have a task to play. Each of us has a
responsibility. We love our great country Papua New Guinea and it is only together we can fashion a
better Papua New Guinea for all.
We have much to do to forge and secure our place in the region and the world. Our rich
endowments of culture, resources, environment, history and location make us truly unique. Our
unity as a people and a nation must be founded on a common identity and shared values.
The heart of a country and its raison d’être are its people. My focus is on inclusive sustainable
people-centred development. In the world of work, gainful employment remains our most pressing
challenge. Providing decent jobs offers the means to lift our people out of poverty and vulnerability.
NSO from a 2022 survey report that PNG’s employment rate is 97.6% and it estimated that the 2021
population was 11.9 million with an annual growth rate of 4.9%. We see that there are around
500,000 active superannuation members. These are workers in formal jobs and using NSO’s
published numbers they represent a mere 5.4% of our working age population. By implication, all
other forms of work are informal. This is a dismal and troubling figure. We need to do more to create
formal jobs and boost incomes in the formal economy.
We have a paucity of data on the labour market and so I have commissioned the country’s first every
official labour force survey to be conducted in 2025. This will provide us with valuable data to guide
and shape targeted policy initiatives to tackle decent job creation.
Our people want and need jobs with fair wages so they can provide for themselves in a dignified and
honest manner. We need to boost wages, lower inflation and create safe workplaces free from
occupational hazards, harassment and discrimination.
Our Government will release its updated job growth strategy this year. We recognize that it is the
private sector that will create jobs and it is Government’s role to support this. Through social
dialogue we will work with our social partners – the unions and employers, to create the right
environment and policy actions to support decent job growth.
The outcome of the review of minimum wages, which will conclude in a few months, will provide
some protection against unfair wages but we will do more. Labour administration and the
inspections will be strengthened but the overall regulatory function update will involve reviewing
our labour laws. I will introduce a new policy and legislation for National Occupational Health and
Safety. I will update the Employment Act to remove barriers, eliminate discrimination in the
workplace and bring us into line with international standards. All this I will do in consultation with
our social partners and other stakeholders.
Empowering our people, especially women and youths, lies at the centre of human development.
Developing and continually uplifting skills will boost productivity, help grow the economy, support
job creation and increase wages and incomes for our people. Our Independence Fellowship Scheme
will be reviewed and adjusted to support the development of skilled workforce. A refresh of
competency and skills standards for trades will commence next year. I will continue to work on
creating a bridge between the informal and formal sectors and to support the transition from school
to work.
Our Government is committed to creating better outcomes in the world of work and I am pleased to
confirm that all these initiatives are fully funded through the 2025 National Budget.
Every patriotic Papua New Guinean can be a champion of progress. Together, we need to actively
work to purge our government systems and country of corruption. This scourge is a menacing and an
onerous tax on economic growth, development and democracy. Corruption is not only a sin of
commission but also of omission. Each one of us must stand guard and fight against this. We have a
responsibility to act against corruption whenever we observe it and not just turn a blind eye.
We need to build a safer Papua New Guinea by strengthening the rule of law. This starts in our
homes and in our communities. We must teach our children what is right and what is wrong.
Prevention is better than cure. We must work together to stop crime and build a stronger moral
fabric. The teachings of the Bible show us what we must do morally as a Christian nation.
If we all contribute we can build a Papua New Guinea that benefits all. I challenge each Papua New
Guinean to do what is right – no more and no less. To do the best that you can. We must be the
architects of our destiny and futures. It lies with us and nobody else.
As we start a momentous year and prepare to celebrate a milestone, let us also celebrate each other
and all before us who have contributed to this great nation especially the workers of Papua New
Guinea.
God bless Papua New Guinea and its people.
HON. KESSY SAWANG MP
03/01 / 2025
