Papua New Guinea is lagging far behind its Pacific neighbours in creating overseas employment opportunities under regional labour mobility programs, says the President of the Papua New Guinea Nurses Association (PNGNA), Frederick Kebai.
Returning fresh from attending the Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Conference in Solomon Islands this week, Mr Kebai said he was deeply concerned that the PNG Government has not been proactive in facilitating opportunities for its citizens to work abroad under schemes such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) program and New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
“What I’ve learned from this conference is that Papua New Guinea is less concentrated in this area,” Mr. Kebai said.
“Our government is not proactive in mobilizing seasonal workers to go to New Zealand or Australia, while other Pacific Islanders are very active and have large numbers of their citizens already working overseas.”
He highlighted that countries such as Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, and Solomon Islands have made significant progress, sending thousands of workers to farms, hospitality, and other industries in Australia and New Zealand.
“PNG has the largest population in the Pacific—around 12 million people—and one of the highest unemployment rates,” Mr Kebai stressed.
“Labour migration would help our people, both skilled and unskilled, find jobs overseas while also boosting our struggling economy through remittances.”
Mr Kebai said the conference discussions revealed that the lack of coordination between key PNG state agencies and workers’ unions is a major barrier to progress.
“There is no proper collaboration between the Department of Labour, Finance and Treasury, and unions,” he said.
“We need a strong tripartite approach so we can move forward together.”
He further pointed out that costly administrative requirements such as obtaining police clearances, passports, and visas are deterring many potential seasonal workers from applying.
“Meeting the criteria to be deployed is a big hurdle for our citizens,” Mr. Kebai said.
“The government should set aside funds to assist seasonal workers meet these costs. They could later repay the expenses once they are employed overseas.”
Mr Kebai said Papua New Guinea must urgently learn from its Pacific neighbours and establish a more structured labour mobility program.
“If our government takes this seriously, more Papua New Guineans can be employed overseas, gain valuable skills, and contribute to our economy. It’s time we stop watching from the sidelines.”
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