The 2012 PNG Budget Forum
The 2012 PNG Budget Forum was held on September 12 at the NRI Conference Centre in Port Moresby (programme available here [pdf]). The Forum is part of the PNG Promoting Effective Public Expenditure (PEPE) Project being conducted jointly by PNG’s National Research Institute together with the Development Policy Centre. This was the first of a series of bi-annual budget fora: the next is tentatively scheduled for February 6 2013.
The three major presentations were from Devpolicy Director Stephen Howes on budgetary trends over the last ten years (work done jointly with Andrew A. Mako; presentation here [ppt]), PNG Treasury Deputy Secretary Anthony Yauieb on the Sovereign Wealth Fund and PNG National Planning Minister Hon. Charles Abel MP on development priorities. Discussants included AusAID PNG head, Stuart Schaefer, Devpolicy Deputy Director Matt Morris, and Institute of National Affairs Director, Paul Barker. NRI Director Thomas Webster opened the conference, Senior Research Fellow at NRI Modowa Gumoi chaired and PNG Central Bank Governor Loi Bakani closed it. For front-page news coverage of the standing-room-only Forum see here.
There were many points for discussion, but a major one was the rise in the share of the development (or project) budget from one-third of all government spending ten years ago to one half today (see graph below). This is high by international standards, and raises questions given the multi-billion kina funding gaps in education and road maintenance which largely require injections of recurrent funding from the regular not the development budget.
Share (%) of development and recurrent spending to total government expenditure
The next major event in the PNG PEPE project is the education and health facility survey which will be implemented from October onwards. This survey will revisit schools and health centres surveyed 10 years ago in a joint NRI/World Bank survey (results here). The aim of the survey is to see what effect the massive increase in government revenue over the last decade (documented here) has had on service delivery on the ground, and to examine the impact of recent expenditure reforms, such as the large increase in school operating grants and health facility budgets. For more information on PNG PEPE, click here, or contact Modowa Gumoi (NRI) or Colin Wiltshire (Devpolicy).
Publications
DP23 – Why Fiji is not the “Mauritius” of the Pacific? Lessons for Small Island Nations in the Pacific
Biman Chand Prasad
This paper discusses why Fiji could not become the Mauritius of the Pacific and points out to the lack of political stability and inclusive economic and political institutions as the major causes of poor economic performance for the last 25 years. Professor Prasad also provides an update on Fiji’s economy in this post.
Upcoming events
Engaging Business in Development Forum
Keynote address by Dr Jane Thomason. Other speakers and panellists from international business, non-government organisations, social enterprises, health and agricultural research enterprises, and international aid agencies.
Wednesday 17 October @ 8.30am
Common Room, University House, 1 Balmain Crescent, ANU
Registration coming soon
For more information contact us
The Development Policy Centre has organised this Forum to examine how aid funds can be used judiciously to enhance the development impact of business activity. The Forum will examine recent experience and explore the potential for further aid investment in partnership with business in four areas: inclusive business ventures, service delivery, pro-poor supply chains for internationally-traded products, and product development partnerships in health and agriculture.
Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines
Steven Rood and Jaime Faustino, The Asia Foundation Philippines
Thursday 11 October @ 12pm
Acton Theatre, Level 1, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU
Registration coming soon
In this Public Seminar, the speakers will present a model for engendering transformative institutional change developed from the cases highlighted in the Asia Foundation’s new book, Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality. The seminar will also present the current research and programs of AusAID and The Asia Foundation to apply the model to social sector reforms.
The role of think tanks and development policy in tackling poverty
Owen Barder, Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Director for Europe.
Tuesday 9 October @ 1pm
Weston Theatre Level 1, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU
Register here
Think tanks and policy centres have an important role to play in providing policymakers with analysis and advice on how all their policies can improve the prospects for development. Owen Barder will reflect on his experience and that of the Center for Global Development (CGD), in developing policy proposals and working to get them implemented.
Past events
The last month has been packed full of events. Here is a list of them all, with links to more details, videos, and related blogs.
Challenges to global health: Getting what works to those who need it
Kamalini Lokuge
September 10
Video available soon here
2012 Pacific Update: Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga
Bart Philemon, Nikunj Soni, Odo Tevi, Siosi (Joyce) C. Mafi, Biman Prasad, Rick Houenipwela, Serena Sassingian and Kolone Vaai.
September 6
Video available soon here
The most up-to-date and most stimulating Pacific event of the year. Over the coming weeks we will bring you blog summaries of most of the participants’ presentations, available here . See Biman Prasad’s presentation on Fiji, based on his recent Devpolicy discussion paper.
Tertiary Education Reform and the Role of Aid
Jamil Salmi
September 3
Video here
Australian aid evaluation: Present and future
Dereck Rooken-Smith, Cate Rogers, Kathy Richards, Hal Hill, Jo Hall, Russell Miles, Stephen Howes and Jim Adams.
August 30
Videos here, here, here and here
Improving the nutritional status of children and women: What role for aid?
Lawrence Haddad
August 28
Video here
Smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia: The challenges and rewards of sustainable Newcastle disease control
Robyn Alders
August 27
Video here
Measuring poverty and gender disparity: A joint approach to measuring progress
Thomas Pogge and Scott Wisor
August 15
Video here
Devpolicy visitors
Asian Development Bank Pacific country and sectoral directors, led by Vice President Stephen Groff and Pacific Director General Xianbin Yao, participated in a half day brainstorming with Devpolicy on a range of Pacific topics from political economy to infrastructure maintenance.
Devpolicy hosted a consultation between the World Bank and senior Pacific island country representatives from the public and private sectors and civil society as part of the Bank’s study “Looking forward — Sustainable Development, Global Public Goods and the World Bank Group post-2025.” This 18-month study aims to bring together key global stakeholders to discuss the role of the World Bank Group in supporting the provision of global public goods, particularly those relating to sustainable production and consumption, in 2025 and beyond.
On August 28 we hosted Lawrence Hadded, Institute of Development Studies Director (Sussex, UK), who not only gave a great seminar but fielded a whole day of questions from interested staff and students on nutrition and other topics.
Visiting Fellow Robin Davies is in Washington D.C. to work with the World Bank on its global public goods project and to meet with Washington think tank the Centre for Global Development.
Blog posts
This month on the blog we have introduced a new blog feature, the ‘Aid and Asia buzz’. This new monthly wrap compiles the latest news and analysis on aid to and from Asia, look out for the next one this Friday.
Here is a list of Devpolicy blog posts (organised thematically) since our last newsletter, a month ago.
Blog Digest
August blog digest: Promoting effective public expenditure in PNG | Solomons aid and governance debate | More by Stephen Howes.
Buzzes
Development Buzz (Sep 12): Putting nutrition on the agenda | Addressing transfer pricing | A ‘big push’ on education | More by Jonathan Pryke and Sophie Roden.
Pacific Buzz (September 5): Pacific Islands Forum Wrap | Fiji engages | Polynesian expansion… and more by Devpolicy-PiPP.
Aid Buzz (August 29): Coalition aid policy | Engaging business in development | Aid visitors to Australia | More by Jonathan Pryke.
Pacific Buzz (August 22): Clinton to attend Pacific Forum | Pacific Solution returns | Solomon Islands prepares for troop withdrawal… and more by Devpolicy-PiPP.
Aid and Asia Buzz (Aug 17): New donors for Burma | North Korea & Manila Floods | China’s $20 billion for Africa | Clinton & SE Asia by Ashlee Betteridge.
Aid
What does “Why Nations Fail” mean for International Aid? By Neil McCulloch.
Not serious about global medical research: comments on the draft AusAID strategy by Stephen Howes.
Have NGOs lost their way? By Joanna Spratt.
Effective Aid: How well is Australia tracking on its one year anniversary? By Marc Purcell.
Negotiating asylum in PNG: let the media in, and hasten slowly by Nichelle Nayahamui Rooney.
AusAid and conflict prevention: a case for mediation by Nate Shea, John Langmore and Aran Martin.
Taking on the bean counters: a possible approach under the Coalition for managing NGOs by Denis Dragovic.
Development
Will Timor’s development challenges push a close political marriage down the path of executive cohabitation? By Sue Ingram.
Educating against corruption by Colum Graham.
Nothing beats a panel by Robin Davies.
Are we neglecting children’s participation in school? By Robert Cannon.
Humanitarian funding shortfalls: reflections on a visit to Chad by Julia Newton-Howes.
The Pacific
Fiji’s economy: a view over 25 years by Biman Chand Prasad.
Accountability for climate finance in the Pacific by Nic Maclellan.
Poor political governance in Solomon Islands – what can donors do? By Terence Wood.
Poor political governance in Solomon Islands – what use rational choice explanations? By Terence Wood.
Review – Interpreting Corruption: Culture and Politics in the Pacific Islands by Toby Ley.
PNG
Benefits from mining in Papua New Guinea – where do they go? By Margaret Callan.
PNG’s experience with rapid revenue growth: lessons for the future by Andrew Anton Mako.
PNG land grab update by Colin Filer.
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