The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has called for a rethink in the way development support is delivered in his country.
Identifying it as an issue for various regional aid recipient countries, Peter O'Neill says development assistance money all too often ends up in the pockets of middlemen and expensive consultants.
Peter O'Neill says there has to be a better deal for the taxpayers of contributing countries like Australia, which is PNG's largest single aid donor. He says as a developing country, PNG doesn't want handouts nor boomerang aid.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
He says there will be a review of support arrangements that will save money for contributing countries and deliver capacity and skills in recipient countries.
He says in PNG current support delivery sees foreigners occupying positions where they are actually doing the work that should be done by Papua New Guineans.
This echoes his signal last week that from next year PNG will remove all foreign advisors and consultants from government departments, because they're making locals lazy.
