Prime Minister O’Neill: PNG not an urbanised nation – far from it.

By regional and world standards Papua New Guinea is not an urbanised nation – far from it.


Prime Minister Peter O’Neill revealed this during the opening of the PNG National Urban Forum in Port Moresby yesterday.
Mr O’Neill who returned from a successful business trip in Fiji over the weekend, said he welcomed this opportunity to address this important forum which has as it’s them “Let us change our urban future”.
“Of all Pacific island nations, our level of urban population - around 15 per cent – is easily the lowest. That will perhaps surprise you,” Mr O’Neill said.
 He said in Fiji it is 51 per cent, Cook Islands 72 per cent, Vanuatu 25 per cent, and even our closest neighbor the Solomon Islands around 22 per cent.
 “In the Asian region, urbanization is well above 40 per cent. In Australia it is the exact opposite of what it is in Papua New Guinea - around 85 per cent.
 He said his Government wants to embark on a sustained program that addresses the real challenges facing our cities and towns in 2013.
“That makes this forum very timely. My government will carefully consider, and I hope embrace as much as possible the outcomes of the Forum.
 Port Moresby city alone has squatter settlements around the city. Even the working classes live in the settlements and go to work. The high cost of living has sent the rentals sky rocket – only those who can afford live in the affordable homes.
 Mr O’Neill said: “I have not referred to these figures to down play the importance of urbanization in Papua New Guinea. Far from it! But we do need to keep things in perspective - for the reality is that the vast majority of our people continue to live in village and rural communities.
 “What has happened is that the growth of urban population has been occurring at around double the overall population growth.
 “And what is even more important, and concerning, is t hat just about all our urban population growth has been unplanned - and t hat the services needed for a growing urban community have been inadequately provided,” he said.

 The Prime Minister said as an example, in other countries the growth of urban communities has been driven by the establishment of new industries that create jobs, and the need for spin off small business enterprises and trades.

 “Our urban growth has largely been driven by a desire of this and the last generation for the attractions of urban living AND by a decline in the factors that keeps young people in rural areas and villages - such as employment, farming, and education and so on.
 “So even though our urbanization is low by regional standards, it has been happening in a rapid, unplanned and poorly managed way,” Mr O’Neill said.