An Australian non-government organisation has lashed out at its government for the tied aid to PNG that it claims a number of Australian firms are profiting from.
The Post Courier reports that Aid/Watch expressed reservations in its latest publication, Australian aid: the Boomerang approach.
It said Australia's interest could not necessarily equate to poverty alleviation for most of the world's people as aid recipients.
Aid/Watch says such a focus can create an environment where Australia's commercial or security concerns are put at the forefront of considerations of poverty alleviation.
The report has urged the Australian Government to conduct an independent inquiry into how its aid was delivered.
The report named eight Australian companies which were given about two thirds of all the aid fund.
Aid/Watch says such figures suggest that a small number of companies are profiting from the aid program.
