Chapter 4
Improving progress
Introduction
4.1
This chapter will consider development issues in specific sectors of the
aid program to PNG. In particular, it will focus on the five key areas listed
in term of reference (f): governance; health and education; law and justice;
and gender equality.
4.2
Some considered the Australian aid program to PNG had been increasingly
consolidated. Mr Kimberley from DFAT described how the sectoral focus of Australia's
PNG aid program has 'changed considerably' over the past 40 years:
[W]e have gone from supporting a very wide range of very
worthy projects in many different sectors to focusing on support where we feel
we can make the most difference. This has meant making hard decisions about
where we focus our aid and, in close collaboration with the PNG government, we
have chosen to focus on health, education, transport infrastructure and law and
justice. Support for governance and gender equality cut across all of our
programs.[1]
4.3
The Aid Investment Plan outlined the expected areas of bilateral
program expenditure in 2015-16 (extracted below).
Figure 2. Sectors of bilateral program expenditure[2]
4.4
However, Dr Howes from the Development Policy Centre held the view that Australia's
aid to PNG continues to have a wide sectoral spread. He noted that the 2010 Review
of the PNG-Australia Development Cooperation Treaty had concluded that 'over
time, as the aid program has become a smaller part of the PNG economy, it has
been spread so thinly that its impact has become hard to discern'. This
fragmentation was 'not only across but within sectors'.[3]
Governance
4.5
During 2014-15, Australia's support for strengthened governance in PNG totalled
approximately $112 million. This support was delivered through a number of
programs which focused on 'macroeconomic stability; professionalisation of the
PNG public service; improved public financial management; decentralised public
administration; democratic elections; even greater private sector development;
and service delivery through churches and civil society'.[4]
4.6
Governance is the largest area of the Australian aid program and was the
most frequently mentioned issue during the inquiry. For example,
CARE Australia told the committee:
Poor governance underpins most development problems in PNG
and governance indicators show governance has been declining. Weak governance
and institutions are a key constraint on sustainable and inclusive economic
growth. Service delivery is undermined by funding issues, corruption and a lack
of transparency, accountability and oversight.[5]
4.7
However, it appeared that there has been limited improvement in
governance issues in PNG. For example, Mr Flanagan pointed to research which
concluded that the data suggested there 'has been little if any improvement in
PNG governance over the last 15 years'. This included that the World Bank's
Worldwide Governance Indicators show all six categories of governance are currently
worse than they were in 1996.[6]
4.8
The PNG Government's District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) was often
used as an example of poor governance frameworks which could undermine
development efforts. Dr Standish told the committee this program allocated
'roughly A$9 million' to each MP each year:
That is about $900 million a year for the entire parliament.
MPs, however, cannot design projects, mostly, or use these funds in sustainable
services. They do not have the staff capacity in most of the districts,
according to recent research...Meanwhile, crucial access roads are not
maintained, schools and health services are run-down. There is next to no
evaluation of these funds...These arrangements severely weaken the very services
which aid programs seek to influence.[7]
4.9
The PNG Auditor-General found a number of problems with DISP including
'a pervasive breakdown in the DSIP governance framework' and 'ineffective
spending of DSIP grants including potential misuse of DSIP funds'.[8]
4.10
DFAT described 'good governance as 'fundamental to PNG's stability and
growth'. It noted that, while Australia had sought to assist the PNG Government
improve the effectiveness of its state institutions over many years, 'this effort
must be strengthened'.[9]
Mr Kimberley from DFAT argued that it was important to recognise that 'the
reform of institutions and the focus of government work takes a very long time':
According to the quality of governance measure it takes
states with low capacity a very long time to evolve to the lowest OECD
levels—on average, 100 years. The 40 years that PNG has had are simply not
enough and we must be prepared to support them in the long term.[10]
4.11
A recent Australian aid supported initiative to promote governance is
the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct in Port Moresby. This project is
intended to strengthen the capacity of the PNG public sector leadership.[11]
This was launched by the Foreign Minister on 6 November 2015.[12]
This PNG-led Australian supported initiative is intended to encourage the
development of expertise and drive cultural change through 'delivering a wide
range of executive-level public sector ethic and leadership courses;
certificates, diplomas and undergraduate programs in public administration
management; in-service training; and applied research'.[13]
The University of PNG's School of Business and Public Policy and the PNG Institute
of Public Administration 'will provide education and training to improve public
policy development and its implementation, promote national development and strengthen
a culture of integrity in the PNG public service'. The Precinct is intended to
'promote values-based decision making among leaders, engendering a culture of accountability
and integrity, and encouraging the highest standards of professional conduct'.[14]
4.12
DFAT noted that the current Australian-funded governance programs in PNG
will end in 2015-16 and that a suite of new programs were being developed.
New investments will respond to the Australian aid policy and
the recommendations of the PNG aid assessment. These include stronger
investments in public sector strengthening and the enabling environment for the
private sector, and initiatives that build demand for ethical leadership and
good governance. An enhanced focus will be given to investments that empower
women and youth for public and private sector leadership positions.
The programs will be delivered under a new umbrella
initiative – the PNG Governance Facility. The Facility will bring greater
coherence and increased efficiencies to the way we deliver governance
investments in PNG in the future. Australia will apply innovation and engage the
private sector directly in the delivery of these programs wherever possible.[15]
4.13
Mr Flanagan from the Development Policy Centre considered that '[g]overnance
assistance should be the primary pillar in our aid program with PNG – this is
the means of helping PNG spend its own resources more effectively and to pursue
policies that foster inclusive growth'. He noted that 'international experience
suggests that support for good governance can be the most effective form of aid
assistance'.[16]
4.14
The NGOs which contributed to the inquiry broadly supported more
'bottom-up' programs to support better governance in PNG. For example, Save the
Children observed:
Australia does not have enough resources, influence or power
to dramatically change the nature of governance in PNG. Sustainable governance
changes will take time and cannot be imposed but have to be demanded by Papua
New Guineans. Formal and informal institutions of governance need to be built
and owned by Papua New Guineans themselves.[17]
4.15
Similarly World Vision stated:
While the Australian aid program has done good work in many
aspects of governance strengthening, a significant amount of funding is focused
on technical assistance programs aimed at improving public administration and
service delivery by seconding Australian officials to partner government
agencies to serve as advisers and trainers. While assessments of these programs
have been generally positive, they are also identified as among the most costly
aid investments. These programs have also traditionally emphasised a 'trickle-down'
approach to governance, which assumes that improvements in service delivery
will eventually be achieved 'through the broad strategies of developing skills
across the public sector, improving the management of public financial resources
and facilitating information flows'. This approach has been criticised for
relying on assumptions rather than evidence, and is incompatible with the
urgency with which service delivery problems in PNG need to be addressed.[18]
4.16
CARE Australia noted that changes to sub-national governance
arrangements over time have seen greater decentralisation of powers to the
districts including through District Development Authorities.[19]
In this context, it argued there was an opportunity for the Australian aid
program to increase its engagement 'with these local governance dynamics at the
provincial level and below'. It noted that most of Australia's aid program has
supported governance and service delivery at the national level with only a
smaller portion allocated to local governance.
Overall, there is room to provide more support for
strengthening the interaction between citizens and local government through
building community demand and government responsiveness.[20]
4.17
CARE Australia recommended 15 to 20 percent of DFAT's aid allocation for
PNG be spent 'on local governance to enable better service delivery and
development. This spending should be in addition to support for community
resilience'.[21]
It noted that:
NGOs can play an important role is in building demand for good
governance. The best way to achieve accountability in a sustained way is to
build demand for governance...Local NGOs need support to interpret and advocate
on public expenditure and service delivery.[22]
4.18
World Vision also considered that '[e]fforts to foster social
accountability are particularly well-placed to support sustainable improvements
to governance in PNG, as they strengthen communities’ understanding of their
own roles in influencing local-level decision making; a critical task among
communities who have become disengaged and distrustful of governments over
time.[23]
4.19
ACFID recommended investment in social accountability programs to
increase public demand for good governance.[24]
It stated:
Improving the capacity of PNG's government to deliver basic
services is key to addressing the constraints to growth presented by PNG's poor
health and education outcomes. However there is low demand from the community
for good governance and service provision in PNG. Social accountability
programs (such as community scorecards and local level advocacy programs) that work
with the intended recipients of services and local level government to improve
service delivery are an effective approach for ensuring that government funds
invested in public services result in these services being delivered and
improved.[25]
4.20
One of the 'lessons learned' which DFAT identified in the governance
sector was that '[t]op-down governance solutions in isolation have not
delivered sustainable benefits for PNG citizens: assistance must operate in different
governance domains (national, sub-national and community) to address the
difficult task of establishing a clear line of sight between the citizen and
various levels of government'.[26]
Health
4.21
In 2014-15, Australia invested approximately $100 million to improve
health outcomes in PNG, through five initiatives: financing; procurement;
capacity development and service delivery; multilateral partnerships; and
in-country scholarships. However, it appears access to basic health services in
PNG is getting worse. The Lost Decade report of primary health services
between 2002 and 2012 found that the average health clinic in PNG saw 19 per
cent fewer patients and 10 per cent lower drug availability. 41 per cent of
clinics received no external funding or in-kind support and 22 per cent relied
on user fees to cover operational costs. Only 20 per cent of health clinics had
beds with mattresses.
4.22
While the importance of health services to human development was
consistently advocated during the inquiry, there was less consistency in the
areas for improvement. For example, the Burnet Institute emphasised that '[o]ne
of the major constraints to poverty alleviation is poor health and, therefore,
health development efforts need to be targeted explicitly to the very poor'. It
noted that the Copenhagen Consensus Centre in 2013 had identified ten health
interventions in the 16 most cost-effective solutions to major development
challenges:
The top five value-for-money investments are fighting
malnutrition; malaria medicines; expanded childhood immunisation coverage;
deworming treatments for children; and expanded TB treatment. We believe that a
focus by the Australian aid program on strengthening systems to efficiently
deliver these highly ranked health interventions will have a major impact on
the health and well-being of the people of PNG, and contribute to poverty
reduction.[27]
Health systems
4.23
Save the Children was concerned that investment in health would not be
maintained under the PNG aid program in the future. It noted that the two MDGs
where PNG is most off-track compared to its Pacific neighbours are maternal and
child health.[28]
Save the Children supported the Australian Government's investment in robust health
systems in PNG.
[These] will benefit women and children who are high users
during pregnancy, childbirth and the early years. Strong health systems also
reduce the risk of inappropriate drug administration, incomplete treatment and
poor drug quality, all of which serve to drive development of antimicrobial
resistance, and enable early identification and response to disease outbreaks.[29]
4.24
World Vision also argued that due to the critical and immediate threat
to maternal and neonatal health strengthening of PNG's health systems must be a
priority for Australian aid investments in infrastructure. It recommended this
'should include the provision of functioning and accessible delivery facilities
and trained skilled birth attendants, support for the strengthening of PNG's
health and birth registration systems, and interim investment in family- and
community-level health care through a village health volunteer (or similar)
model'.[30]
Visual impairment
4.25
Refractive error is the most frequent cause of vision impairment in PNG
(47 per cent).[31]
Vision2020 observed that 'vision impairment is both a cause and consequence of
poverty'. It noted there were direct links 'between vision impairment and lack
of access to opportunities (such as education, employment, and social
inclusion) and to basic needs (such as health services, good nutrition, safe
housing and clean water and sanitation)'. Vision2020 argued that interventions
for eye health and vision care in developing countries represent excellent
value for money with research suggesting that eye health and vision care
programs can provide an economic return of $4 for every $1 invested.[32]
Tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS
4.26
The Burnet Institute warned that the Australian aid program in PNG
needed to be flexible enough to effectively respond to 'emerging health
threats, such as multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, malaria and unanticipated
epidemics'.[33]
Despite the shift away from recurrent financing for health operations in the
Australian aid program, DFAT noted that where 'there remains an immediate
public health threat, for example tuberculosis (TB) in Western Province and the
National Capital District (NCD), and HIV in most-at-risk populations, Australia
will continue with direct service delivery support'.[34]
Tuberculosis
4.27
The threat of the spread of TB in the Western Province brought the
committee's attention for a wide range of submitters. Professor Toole described
an effective response to the TB problem in Western province as 'of utmost
importance'.[35]
The Gizra Tribe of the South Fly Electorate, Western Province stated:
Health is a major concern of the Western Province as a whole.
Right now we are sitting on a time bomb with the increase in the number of TB
cases and the deadly drug resistant TB which is spreading in an alarming rate
especially on Daru Island which is also our Provincial capital.[36]
4.28
Despite Australia's push for PNG to take ownership and deliver its
services for its population, because of the geographic proximity of Western
Province to Australia, DFAT takes a different approach. This includes directly
funding a number of positions to ensure they are fully staffed.[37]
Mr Kimberley from DFAT noted that one of the challenges was the response of the
PNG Government to support the full implementation of TB programs:
We have $60 million invested in tuberculosis in Papua New
Guinea over 2011 to 2017. The PNG government had committed at cabinet level to
release $20 million to also support that. That funding remains unreleased.[38]
4.29
Dr Moran from Policy Cures emphasised the need for new treatments for TB
that were suitable for the conditions in PNG. She described the reasons why the
current two-year treatment for multidrug resistant TB was inappropriate:
Patients have to be put in an isolation ward in hospital for
many months because they have to have injections so it is not an all-oral
treatment. Being put in hospital and in an isolation ward means they cannot
work. If you are a woman, you cannot look after your family. Your family
probably cannot come to see you because an isolation ward is probably somewhere
remote.
[B]eing whisked off to some district hospital to be
incarcerated in isolation to have injections is what they need to do to cure
their TB but it completely does not work from the point of the patient, the
economy and the family. The death rate in PNG from drug resistance is one in
three. That two-year treatment has an over 50 per cent failure rate so it is
not that it is a great treatment. It is very expensive and it is also very
toxic.[39]
4.30
The treatment regime for extensively drug-resistant TB was considerably
worse. It involved a more toxic cocktail of drugs, two-years in isolation and a
treatment failure rate of 84 per cent. Dr Moran advocated for a modest increase
in Australian aid funding that would support the development of two new TB
drugs which would be more effective treatments and more appropriate to delivery
in PNG:
The amount we would need to finish those drugs would be $5
million a year...We have analysed what is out there and these are the
front-runner drugs. What is needed is $5 million a year for two years to finish
the regimen for drug resistance and $3 million to $5 million a year for three
years to finish the regiment for drug sensitive.
4.31
In relation to these drug trials, DFAT noted that the 'Australian
Government is providing $10 million over three years from June 2015 to the TB Alliance.
The funded activities include the STAND and Nix-TB trials'.[40]
Malaria
4.32
While there has been progress against malaria in other developing
countries in the Pacific, PNG has not shared this success. Ms James from the
Medicines for Malaria Venture noted that PNG experiences 98 per cent of the
malaria burden in the Pacific. In PNG, there were 46 malaria deaths per 100,000
in 2010 compared with 24 in the Solomon Islands.[41]
She noted that Australia has adopted a regional leadership role in guiding and
supporting malaria eradication initiatives in Asia and the Pacific,
particularly through the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance.
4.33
In 2013-2014 the previous Australian Government announced a $10 million
program support Product Development Partnerships, including $2.5 million to
support MMV's portfolio of drug development. In March 2015, the Minister for
Foreign Affairs and Trade announced a further $10 million over three years.[42]
4.34
Ms James described the need for new antimalarial drugs as urgent as 'emerging
strains of the parasite [are] now showing resistance against the best available
drugs'.[43]
She stated:
MMV would recommend a continued focus on malaria in the
context of the post-MDG era and support to ensure malaria remains on the agenda
for sustainable development. This is critical in the context of PNG, where
Malaria remains endemic and the foundations for malaria control and
pre-elimination strategies are still under development.[44]
HIV/AIDS
4.35
The contribution to the response to HIV/AIDS in PNG was characterised as
one of the successes of the Australian aid program. Mr Kimberley from DFAT
noted that almost 20 years of Australian support against the spread of HIV has
contributed to successfully arresting 'what could have been a catastrophic
medical emergency on our border'.[45]
4.36
However, other stressed the need for continuing action. ChildFund
Australia noted that '[a]round 75 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV in
PNG do not receive treatment to prevent mother‐to‐child transmission,
compared to 25 per cent of women in Kenya'.[46]
The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) stated that, while DFAT
had a clear policy framework for HIV-related work in PNG, recent actions have
not been consistent with these policy statements. These actions include
'massive funding cuts' to local HIV organisations by 50 per cent 'which suggest
an abandonment of DFAT's previous commitment to supporting the community
response to HIV in PNG'. AFAO stated:
Leaders of Igat Hope, Kapul Champions and Friends Frangipani
have expressed their deep disappointment regarding DFAT's recent funding
decisions. Programs are being wound down, staff are being released and regional
offices are being closed. The autonomy of the organisations representing the
communities most affected by HIV will be lost, and the capacity of the
organisations to effectively contribute to PNG's HIV response will be significantly
diminished.[47]
Nutrition and stunting
4.37
ACFID highlighted that the 'prevalence of stunting in children at 35.5
per cent in urban areas and 50 per cent in rural areas' were both 'well above
the global average'. It urged support for PNG's National Nutrition Strategy.[48]
It noted that improvement in nutrition would have a range of benefits. It
stated:
Investments in nutrition improve health outcomes by reducing
pressure on health care systems and by contributing to economic growth by
enabling children to reach their cognitive potential and allowing more people
to fully participate in education and the workforce.[49]
4.38
The Burnet Institute considered that reducing the high rate of child
undernutrition should be a major objective of the Australian health sector aid
to PNG. It recommended this be achieved through 'multi-sectoral programming
(health, agriculture, water and sanitation, and education)'.[50]
It considered that nutrition had been 'a blind spot in the Australian aid
program in PNG despite the prevalence of stunting'. However, the Burnet
Institute welcomed attention to the issue in the Australian aid program
including recent membership of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.[51]
4.39
World Vision highlighted the long term consequence of high rates of
childhood stunting:
With stunting rates at around 47 per cent, this is not a mere
health problem confined to childhood; stunting has serious implications for
adult health, with malnourished children highly susceptible to non-communicable
diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity in adulthood. Stunting is
also accompanied by implications for mental development, and is a significant
factor limiting educational outcomes for youth in PNG.[52]
4.40
Mr Mat Kimberley from DFAT described stunting rates in PNG as 'unacceptably
high':
Childhood stunting generally occurs before the age of two. It
is an outcome of maternal undernutrition and inadequate feeding in infancy and
early childhood... It varies considerably throughout PNG—in the Highlands it is
as much as 60 per cent and in the island regions it is lower, but it is still
38 per cent.
Analysis indicates that stunting is a result of the complex
intersection between economic and behavioural issues. It is not just due to
food availability and food security. Therefore, our work in PNG to support
economic growth will not alone address stunting. In many low- and middle-income
countries it has been demonstrated that economic growth contributes very
little, actually, to the reduction of undernutrition. Targeted and coordinated
policies and programs that deal with household poverty, agricultural
productivity, health services, water and sanitation and education are all
required to translate to success in this area.[53]
Family planning and maternal health
4.41
World Vision identified a need for a greater commitment in relation to family
planning in PNG and the broader Pacific region. Investment in advancing women's
and girls' sexual and reproductive health rights is invaluable not only for
delaying pregnancy and averting significant health risks, but also for enabling
girls to continue their education and women to access economic opportunities.
It recommended the Australia Government explore 'culturally-appropriate means
of empowering women to control their sexual and reproductive health, including
through supporting facilities as well as community- and home-based delivery of
information and services'.[54]
4.42
ACFID noted that there was a 30 per cent unmet need for family planning
adversely affecting women's choices and circumstances:
Increasing access to family planning is also crucial to
enabling women's empowerment in PNG. It is estimated that every one dollar
spent on family planning services generates a saving of four dollars in other
health spending.[55]
4.43
Professor Brassil from NSW Family Planning considered there has been
almost no investment in family planning in PNG. She argued that in order to
empower PNG women, they should be given 'the fundamentals to control their body
and control their choices'.[56]
4.44
The Burnet Institute drew the committee's attention to a Lancet
paper focused on advancing social and economic development by investing in
women's and children's health. It stated:
The core recommended interventions include prevention of
unintended pregnancy and birth through contraception and reproductive health
and effective care during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. Reducing
unintended pregnancies and maternal mortality can greatly increase the quality
of life for the women of PNG and improve their education and economic
potential.[57]
Education
4.45
In 2013-14, Australia invested nearly $75 million in programs to support
PNG's basic, secondary, technical and higher education. A broad range of
suggestions were made in relation to the focus of the Australian aid program in
relation to education – from early childhood education to post-graduate
opportunities. The value of better education in poverty reduction was repeated
emphasised. ChildFund Australia stated:
Education has an intergenerational impact, with educated
women more likely to send their children to school and for longer periods of
time with each successive generation. It has also been found that women and girls
who earn an income reinvest 90 per cent of it into their families. Education is
a powerful tool in poverty reduction, particularly for women.[58]
Early childhood
4.46
Save the Children agreed investments in vocational skills and literacy were
important but argued for greater investment 'in early childhood education which
delivers some of the best value for money'. It noted that interest in childhood
education by the PNG Government meant that there was 'a window of opportunity
for the Australian Government to capitalise on this momentum and establish a
strong platform for early childhood development'.[59]
Primary
4.47
Research on the performance of primary schools in PNG between 2002 and
2012 found that an average school had 59 per cent more children enrolled (144
per cent more girls), 22 per cent more teachers and 21 per cent more
classrooms. The average school had more text books, better quality classrooms
but larger class sizes. In 2012, the PNG Government introduced a Tuition Fee
Free policy and net enrolment rate for basic education has reached 79 per cent.
While this fell short of the MDG of universal access, it marked important
progress against PNG national targets.[60]
4.48
An identified problem was that the focus on quantity (in terms of access
to primary education) has potentially led to shortfalls in quality.[61]
The PNG Attitude joint submission described many teachers at the primary
level as 'barely literate themselves' and 'passing on their ignorance to
generation after generation of students'.[62]
The World Bank described the quality of education as a 'concern'. It stated
that '[a]ttention must turn to ensuring that the quality of education is
keeping pace with the impressive growth in student numbers'.[63]
4.49
ChildFund Australia noted:
While more children are now attending primary school, the government
is struggling to meet capacity, with shortages in school infrastructure, staff,
teacher quality and educational equipment. Today, the average adult in PNG has
only experienced around four years of formal schooling.[64]
4.50
The PNG National Research Institute observed:
About thirty percent of school aged children do not enter
first grade of school, of those that do, more than half drop out before they
leave the final grade of school. The quality of learning is so poor that of
those that do complete primary schooling, as many as fifty percent are
illiterate. The net result is that possibly less than fifty percent of school aged
children have access to quality education and less than fifty percent literacy
rate within the wider population.[65]
Secondary/vocational
4.51
The importance of vocational education to improve movement to formal
employment was also highlighted.[66]
For example, the PNG Attitude submission recommended:
Australian aid funds should be spent to bring large numbers
of Papua New Guinean students to Australia for secondary and tertiary
education. More Papua New Guinean teachers and nurses can be trained in
Australia, lifting the standards of those professions.[67]
Tertiary
4.52
Mr Pryke from the Lowy Institute characterised the tertiary sectors as
areas of neglect in the aid program and emphasised the importance of PNG 'being
able to train the next generation of competent technocrats and mid-level people
in the bureaucracy'.[68]
The Lowy Institute argued that Australia's provision of scholarships for
post-graduate and some under-graduate students through the Australia Awards
scheme as 'extraordinarily valuable':
According to the DFAT website, Australian aid is currently
supporting 328 postgraduate study awards in Australia and 505 study
opportunities in Papua New Guinea...This scheme gives the brightest Papua New
Guinean students opportunities to obtain a high quality Australian degree but
just as importantly to build networks with Australians.
4.53
It suggested the Australian aid program could build on the success of
the scholarship scheme by integrating a wider internship or work experience
element into all scholarships and by extending such a program to young Papua
New Guineans not eligible for scholarships but who could benefit from work
experience opportunities.[69]
However, Dr Howes noted that scholarship students from PNG can struggle in
Australia. He proposed a number reforms:
The PNG scholarship program should be overhauled to increase
the quality of the intake. This could be done by reducing the government quota,
running a series of standard tests which scholarship candidates have to
undertake, and dropping the work experience requirement. Living allowances to
those on leave from government should be adjusted to take into account the fact
that they are on leave with pay. Reliance on short-courses should be minimized
and restricted to specific technical areas or skills.[70]
4.54
Dr Standish described the tertiary sector as 'severely under-resourced,
and finds it difficult to retain qualified and experienced national and foreign
staff'. He suggested:
PNG universities would be strengthened by a long-term program
of attachment by Australia scholars who could help encourage and sustain the
PNG national staffers. Furthermore, Australia’s own skill set would also
benefit greatly from more of our own people having increased experience working
in this challenging environment.[71]
Emerging leaders
4.55
Others highlighted the importance of supporting the emerging leaders in
PNG. In particular, the Lowy Institute conducts an Emerging Leader Dialogue
program as part of its management of the Australia-Papua New Guinea Network:
The Dialogue brings together 20 emerging young leaders from a
variety of sectors in both countries to share ideas and discuss priority
national issues for both Papua New Guinea and Australia. The 2013 and 2014
Dialogues both featured highly talented young people who are very likely to go
on to leadership positions in their professions, in government and possibly in
political life. The majority of them have established their own community based
organisations focused on delivering social goods.[72]
4.56
The Lowy Institute argued that the 'Emerging Leaders Dialogue model
demonstrates that there is significant value to be gained from individual
people-to-people contacts between Australians and Papua New Guineans'. It
considered the expansion of existing professional and government-to-government
networks assisted by the Australian aid program could 'multiply the
contributions that individuals can make to both government and small community
development initiatives'.[73]
Law and justice
4.57
The crime rate in PNG is considered among the highest in the world and
is a key challenge to development. For example in Lae the homicide rate in 2010
was 66 per 100,000 persons (nine times the global average).[74]
Many submitters emphasised that effective law and order mechanisms were
essential to PNG's development and economic growth.[75]
4.58
DFAT noted that $23.6 million was spent on Law and Justice in the
2013-14 Australian aid program. Mr Mat Kimberley from DFAT outlined the broad
number of initiatives in this area:
In the law and justice sector we helped finalise new infrastructure
at the police centre in Lae, a new police station on Manus Island, 28 separate
individual police projects supporting Bougainville, and securing the site and
the design for the new magisterial services headquarters in Port Moresby. We
trained 1,175 police, 19 per cent of whom were women; 2,906 other law and
justice officials in various police management and training programs; and 560
new recruits, 83 of whom were female, graduated from the Bomana police training
college—that increased from 299 the year before. We have supported 11,272
survivors of violence, through the 14 family and sexual violence units we have
established across Papua New Guinea. The number of dispossessed and completed
interim protection order applications increased to 849, up from 687. We also
supported over 35,800 survivors of violence, mostly women, to receive support
from those family and sexual violence units. We provided counselling and
medical referrals and also prosecutorial support for the 11,000 survivors.[76]
4.59
In particular, the PNG-Australia Law and Justice Partnership (PALJP) was
a $150 million program that operated from 2009 to June 2014. The Australian
aid program continued this with the PALJP – Transition Program. The Victorian
Bar told the committee that, as part of the PALJP, it has conducted advocacy
skills workshops for PNG lawyers and officials including the national lawyers
of the Papua New Guinea Public Prosecutor's Office, the Public Solicitor's
Office and others. It has also received funding for a mentoring program for
female participants of the Legal Training Institute of PNG.[77]
4.60
The broad benefits for an effective legal profession as an enabler of
sustainable economic growth and as a mechanism to reduce poverty in PNG were
emphasised by the Law Council of Australia. It noted there could be scope to support
developing appropriate legal training programs for practising lawyers through
the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct. The Law Council also drew the
committee's attention to the PacLII website which provides access to electronic
records of key legislation, cases and treaties from across the Pacific. While
existing funding support for PacLII appeared to be ending, the Law Council
believed it was 'essential to support this key service which is vital to the
work of lawyers across the Pacific including PNG'.[78]
4.61
As part of the Joint Understanding on Further Bilateral Cooperation on
Health, Education and Law and Order in 2013, 50 Australian Federal Police
officers were deployed to PNG. DFAT noted that Australia has substantially
increased its support to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) with
the deployment of 73 AFP staff – 60 in Port Moresby and 13 in Lae.
The reshaped AFP engagement in PNG is increasing the
professionalism of the RPNGC. AFP officers are being deployed in core advisory
and mentoring roles, and we are expanding training opportunities for RPNGC
members in Australia.[79]
Gender inequality
4.62
Gender equality in PNG is currently among the worst in the world. In its
2014 HDR report on PNG, the UN Development Programme particularly noted 'the very
poor indicators relating to gender disparity and inequality, with women in
Papua New Guinea having consistently lower education and heath indicators, and
being subject to high levels of gender-based violence'.[80]
CARE Australia noted:
Women have high workloads and are largely responsible for
PNG’s annual food production but hold only half the number of formal sector
jobs that men do. Women experience some of the highest maternal mortality rates
in the world, women and girls have lower literacy rates than men and boys and
are subjected to high levels of family and sexual violence. Women occupy very
few formal leadership positions from the village level upwards.[81]
4.63
The International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) recommended that
Australia's bilateral program specifically consider the needs, concerns,
interests and priorities of women at every stage – in consulting stakeholders,
developing strategy, designing and implementing programs, assessing impact and
learning, and iterating improvement. The IWDA argued:
Persistent, profound, and widespread gender inequality,
formal and informal discrimination, multiple systemic barriers to women's
civil, political and economic participation and an epidemic of violence against
women exists in Papua New Guinea. Unless Australia reflects the significance of
this situation through a concerted effort to address it in our bilateral aid
program, it is effectively accepting and potentially reinforcing ongoing human
rights violations and structural impediments to PNG’s social, political and
economic development.[82]
4.64
DFAT stated that '[g]ender equality and women's empowerment are vital to
PNG's economic and human development'. It noted that the Australian Government
has set a target requiring that at least 80 per cent of Australian aid
investments, regardless of their objectives, will effectively address gender
issues in their implementation.[83]
Australia's aid program would continue to invest in:
-
women's voice in decision-making, leadership, and peace-building;
-
women's economic empowerment; and
-
ending violence against women and girls.
4.65
However, ACFID noted that Performance of Australian Aid 2013-14 report
found that investments across the Pacific performed below average on addressing
gender, with 67 per cent of programs effectively addressing gender compared to
a global average of 74 per cent – well below the target of 80 per cent across
Australia's aid program.[84]
4.66
Coffey advised that it could be difficult to develop a consistent
approach in PNG 'because of tensions associated with ownership of gender and
women's issues'. It noted that '[p]rograms often have to be delivered in an
environment where responsibilities are contested by various agencies'. It noted
this creates tensions and 'donors need to carefully deal with the politics
around these responsibilities'.[85]
4.67
Providing higher level skills opportunities for women was also perceived
as important. For example, Advance Cairns suggested that Australian
organisations which support the career of women, such as Women on Boards, who
provide a range of programs preparing women for board roles in Australia, could
be utilised as a vehicle for senior PNG women to forge relationships and
develop skills for future board and other leadership roles.[86]
Gender based violence
4.68
Gender based violence is a significant constraint to women's social,
economic and civic participation and to development in PNG. The committee
received evidence regarding a range of programs to reduce gender based violence
in PNG and the need for more resources to support victims.
4.69
ChildFund Australia noted that the typical barriers to preventing the
abuse of women and children include the fact that family violence is usually a
hidden crime, occurring in family homes and behind closed doors. In PNG,
cultural norms mean that too often family violence is not seen as a crime but
as a normal part of family life, and those tasked with law enforcement are
reluctant to intervene in what is seen as a private matter. Traditional
practices such as early marriage, dowry systems, beliefs in sorcery and a lack
of education for girls exacerbate the problem.[87]
4.70
ACFID recommended that the Australian aid program invest in programs
targeting cultural attitudes towards family and gender based violence, which
engage all sections of the community in behaviour and attitude change.
Additionally, women's access to law and justice services should be strengthened,
including through programs with a focus on support for female [police] officers.[88]
4.71
The Church Agencies Network highlighted the effectiveness of churches in
shifting cultural attitudes in PNG in relation to gender based violence and
discrimination.[89]
It noted that through the PNG Church Partnership Program (CPP), 'church leaders
clearly recognise that they have been part of the problem, and therefore it is
essential they are part of the solution':
CPP churches are now working together to develop a Theology
of Gender Equality and a gender strategy that all participating churches in PNG
can use as a tool to improve gender outcomes throughout the entire program.
This strategy will provide a mechanism of working from the hierarchy to the
grassroots of the seven PNG mainline churches, and will contribute to
attitudinal change and a reduction in violence for women and children.[90]
Child protection
4.72
Save the Children welcome the gender measures in the Australia aid
program but argued there was minimal attention directed towards tackling the
inter-related issue of child abuse. It advocated for Australian Government
support of a Child Protection Policy for the PNG Government. The establishment
of a 'specialised unit to assist aid partners to implement DFAT Child
Protection Policy' and support to adequately fund and strengthen the PNG Department
of Community Development were also recommended.[91]
Committee view and recommendations
4.73
Poor governance underpins many of the development problems in PNG. The
committee is concerned that the governance indicators for PNG do not appear to
be significantly improving over time. Given the large portion of the Australian
aid program devoted to supporting better governance in PNG, the committee
supports the proposals made for social accountability programs to bolster the
capacity of local PNG communities to demand better services. For the committee,
this was best illustrated in the findings of the A Lost Decade which
highlighted the important role of local governance of schools to successful
development outcomes.
Recommendation 9
4.74
The committee recommends that the Australian Government's Governance
Facility include a social accountability program to support local communities
in Papua New Guinea demand better services.
4.75
As indicated by the Burnet Institute and others, the health sector
contains a large number of cost-effective areas of intervention. The committee
will focus on several specific areas.
4.76
The committee was convinced by the evidence regarding the urgent need to
develop new drugs to treat multi-drug resistant and extensively drug resistant
TB. New drugs and treatments not only need to be effective, they need to be
suitable for use in countries like PNG, which have limited health
infrastructure. This appears to be an area where a relatively small investment
could have a large impact particularly in PNG and other developing countries.
4.77
The Australian Government has committed significant resources to combat
the suffering caused by tuberculosis (TB) in PNG. The Partnership Arrangement
signed in March 2016 reaffirmed the commitment of both governments to increase
efforts to address TB in PNG. Nonetheless, the committee considers the
seriousness of this issue is still underestimated. This is a policy area where
prevention is much better than a cure. The importance of effective measures to
prevent TB have recently been emphasised by the establishment of the
cross-party Australian TB Caucus chaired by the Hon Warren Entsch MP and Mr
Matt Thistlethwaite MP.
4.78
Some progress has been made in building the capabilities of PNG in responding
to TB. Nonetheless, recent reports of PNG government funding shortfalls to the
Department of Health in relation to the spread of drug-resistant TB are
concerning. Medical researchers, Dr Jennifer Furin and Dr Helen Cox, reporting
on the outbreak of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis on Daru Island, have
described it as 'alarming' and called for more resources to assist PNG to
manage the crisis. This should continue to be an area for urgent attention for
the Australian aid program. This is not a distant concern. In 2013, a PNG
national, Ms Catherina Abraham, died of drug resistant tuberculosis in a Cairns
hospital.
Recommendation 10
4.79
The committee recommends that the Australian Government increase:
-
its support for measures to prevent the spread of tuberculosis in
the Western Province of Papua New Guinea; and
-
funding for the development of new treatments for tuberculosis
suitable for development countries.
4.80
The committee was shocked by the continuing high rates of childhood
malnutrition and stunting in PNG. This will have an ongoing impact on
development outcomes in PNG for decades. This appears to be a persistent
problem in need of an urgent response. The committee is not satisfied with the
current response of the Australia aid program to this issue. DFAT has suggested
a multi-sector approach, drawing on experience of the aid programs to Timor
Leste and Indonesia, which could be progressed with ACIAR and the main food
suppliers to PNG.[92]
The committee calls on the Australian Government to prioritise a new program to
reduce childhood malnutrition and stunting and track its progress as an
indicator of the overall success of the aid program to PNG.
Recommendation 11
4.81
The committee recommends the Australian Government prioritise a new
program to reduce childhood malnutrition and stunting in Papua New Guinea and
track childhood malnutrition and stunting as a human development performance
benchmark of the Australian aid program.
4.82
The accessibility of elementary education appears to have gradually
improved in PNG, but concerns were raised regarding the quality of education.
The Australian aid program is already involved in the training of teachers and
this appears to be an obvious area where Australia can add value.
Recommendation 12
4.83
The committee recommends that the Australian Government increase the
support for the training of primary school educators in Papua New Guinea.
4.84
The committee supports the emphasis placed on gender equality and
women's empowerment in the Australian aid program. In particular, gender based
violence inhibits the human development of PNG. The committee was impressed
with the broad range of Australian aid programs attempting to effect cultural
changes in communities on these issues. However, these programs did not appear
to be coordinated or have mechanisms for sharing resources and materials. In
the view of the committee, this could act to support and enhance the impact of
these programs.
Recommendation 13
4.85
The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate
options to coordinate and support aid programs focused on cultural change in
gender inequality and gender based violence.
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