How AI Is Helping Government Companies in Papua New Guinea Cut Costs and Improve Efficiency

Papua New Guinea is moving from promise to practical steps: the Department of ICT is finalising a National AI Adoption Framework and rolling out SevisPass, the country's first Digital ID that promises single sign‑on for up to 15 citizen services - even as a K7 million shortfall slowed its launch - while a government cloud already hosts over 146 agencies to break down silos and enable data sharing.

Those building blocks matter because global research shows most governments see AI's cost‑saving potential but few have integrated it fully (an EY survey found 64% expect savings but only 26% have scaled AI); PNG's mix of policy, partnerships and capacity building positions it to join the pioneers.

For civil servants and managers who need hands‑on skills now, practical courses such as Nucamp's Nucamp AI Essentials for Work bootcamp can help translate strategy into cost-cutting, service-improving action - complementing PNG's National AI work and the priorities outlined at the AI summit (PNG ICT Minister announcement on the AI summit).

Attribute	Information
Bootcamp	AI Essentials for Work
Length	15 Weeks
Cost (early bird)	$3,582
Syllabus / Register	AI Essentials for Work syllabus | AI Essentials for Work registration

“SevisPass will serve as a Digital Public Infrastructure, enabling secure authentication across banking, telecommunications, and government systems.”

Papua New Guinea's push to make public services digital rests on a clear policy-and-infrastructure blueprint: the Department of ICT's Digital Transformation Policy 2020 sets whole‑of‑government standards for trusted authentication, shared platforms and streamlined online services, while the Digital Government Act 2022 and the GovPNG tech stack formalise how data, procurement and cloud hosting should work together to scale projects; these legal and technical foundations are already being complemented by hands‑on capacity building such as the ITU-backed Digital Transformation Centre training plan at PNGUoT, which aims to train at least 200 teachers a year and local trainers to spread basic digital skills across districts.

That combination - policy clarity, shared microservices and GovCloud‑style hosting - creates the practical baseline AI projects need to cut duplication and automate workflows, even as rural connectivity remains the hard, visible bottleneck for equitable rollout.

Read the Papua New Guinea Digital Transformation Policy 2020 and the ITU Digital Transformation Centre training plan at PNG University of Technology to learn more.

Pillar / Element	Purpose
Cybersecurity & Safety	Protect government systems and data
Digital Infrastructure	Build backbone for services and GovCloud hosting
Digital Government	Whole‑of‑government platforms and interoperability
Digital Skills	Train citizens, teachers and civil servants for adoption
Entrepreneurism	Support local digital businesses and innovation
Financial Inclusion	Extend digital financial services to marginalised groups

“Some people do not have internet in the home, and for those that have, it may not be stable enough to sustain online learning,” said Dr. Tindi Seje Nuru about connectivity challenges in PNG.

AI governance in Papua New Guinea is moving from principles to practical safeguards: the Department of ICT is finalising a National AI Adoption Framework to sit alongside the Digital Government Act, the Data Governance and Protection Policy 2024 and the Cyber Security Strategy 2024 so agencies can adopt AI without undermining privacy, security or cultural values - read the ICT Minister's update on these policies ICT Minister update on the National AI Adoption Framework and related policies.

That framework must bridge real risks flagged by regional analysts who warn the Pacific still lacks comprehensive AI laws and institutional capacity, making coordinated standards and public literacy essential to avoid becoming passive consumers of unsuitable tools (DevPolicy analysis: Bridging the divide - Building Pacific agency in the AI era).

PNG is also pursuing targeted partnerships to build oversight skills, deepening collaboration on AI capacity with Chinese institutions after the Tsinghua workshop earlier in 2025 (PNG–China AI capacity‑building partnership announcement).

Practical governance will hinge on three things: clear procurement rules, strong data protection, and training for civil servants - otherwise familiar harms, from biased decision models to unsettling AI-generated imagery that already raised concerns at home, could erode trust just as digital IDs and GovCloud unlock efficiencies.

“we must not allow AI to deepen inequalities or threaten our cultural values”.

SevisPass is shaping up as PNG's digital key to faster, more secure public services: piloted in 2024 and now central to the SevisPNG suite (SevisPass, SevisPortal, SevisDEx and SevisPay), the platform will offer single sign‑on, eKYC for banks and telcos via APIs, and features such as residence passes, police clearances, arrival cards and digital payments ahead of a full SevisDeck rollout in March 2026; the Department of ICT frames it as a way to cut paperwork and speed verification using multi‑factor authentication and live photo verification, turning a smartphone into a trusted credential almost as quickly as a handshake used to do.

Practical benefits are obvious - faster transactions, tighter security and new private‑sector services - but success depends on linking SevisPass to the physical National ID (NID) and resolving low NID issuance and birth‑registration gaps so rural and vulnerable populations aren't left offline.

For official details see the DICT announcement on SevisPNG digital identity platform and the Biometric Update article on the SevisDEx data exchange platform.

Item	Detail
Pilot	SevisPass pilot run in 2024
Full rollout	SevisDeck scheduled March 2026 (some features before 16 Sep)
Core components	SevisPass, SevisPortal, SevisDEx, SevisPay
Security	Multi‑factor auth, live photo verification, biometrics, eKYC
Dependency	Integration with NID; NID issuance gaps risk exclusion

“The rollout of SevisPass is not only about improving how government delivers services - it's also about securing our systems, empowering the private sector, and creating new opportunities for our citizens.”

NiuPay's March 2025 AI visa platform is a practical example of how homegrown tech can speed government services: the cloud‑native system (hosted on AWS data centres in Australia but controlled by PNG) can handle up to 1,000 applications a day and has cut manual waits of weeks to real‑time decisions measured in minutes - AWS reports processing under 4 minutes and automation of roughly 95% of cases - so routine checks that once clogged desks now clear almost instantly, letting officers focus on complex, higher‑risk files.

Built with on‑device machine‑learning for document and biometric verification, encrypted storage and APIs for integration with existing systems, the platform was designed to augment public servants rather than replace them and arrives as PNG prepares for an inbound tourism surge; read the local launch coverage in APNGBC and the technical results in the AWS case study to understand the scale and safeguards behind the rollout.

Metric	Result
Launch	March 2025
Peak capacity	Up to 1,000 applications/day
Automated processing	~95% of applications
Typical decision time	Under 4 minutes
Hosting	AWS data centres (controlled by PNG)

“When someone submits an application, it automatically uses all the supporting documents: passports, photos, letters of support, tickets, everything. What used to take days or weeks happens now in minutes,” said James Inglis.

AI and remote sensing offer a practical, low‑cost route for Papua New Guinea to strengthen revenue collection: machine learning can turn satellite images into building footprints and change‑detection maps that reveal untaxed or newly constructed properties across whole districts, so a single satellite snapshot can replace slow, expensive door‑to‑door surveys and point tax officers straight to gaps in the roll - see the Asian Development Bank explainer on AI and satellite imagery for property tax mapping.

To capture those gains PNG will need firmer procurement, transparency and legal safeguards to avoid governance gaps during rollout (the CIPE study on Papua New Guinea's digital transformation and regulatory risks), and an enterprise approach to data, controls and analytic workflows so insights translate into action and real fiscal uplift - RSM guidance on generating value from data and AI outlines the governance pillars that make revenue automation work.

Together, remote sensing, careful procurement and an analytics‑led operating model could turn scattered property records into a systematic, auditable tax base without sending teams into every remote village.

“It is all about aligning, building and deploying training models in a protected and safe manner and making sure we are adding value to the organization.”

Modernising procurement, trade and executive workflows with AI and e-procurement is becoming a practical priority in PNG: the National Procurement Commission has begun formal steps toward an electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system to automate and speed the procurement lifecycle and improve transparency (NPC Request for Information for an e-GP system), while public consultations and ADB support underline the political will behind the shift (The National: e-procurement eyed in Papua New Guinea).

When paired with AI - automated bid screening, anomaly detection across supplier records, and machine-assisted evaluation - tenders that once stalled for months can move to days, freeing officials to focus on strategic trade policy and executive decision-making already being digitised through initiatives like the eCabinet and G2B single-window (ICT Minister update on digital government progress).

Risks flagged by civil-society reviews - limited NPC capacity, political interference and weak disclosure of beneficial ownership - mean AI deployments must be coupled with stronger governance, transparent procurement rules and staff reskilling so efficiency gains don't come at the cost of accountability; the vivid payoff is obvious: fewer dusty paperwork queues and more auditable, fast-moving contracts that deliver services to citizens faster.

"This workshop is not merely an event; it is our chance to seek your input on a path towards more efficient, transparent, and accountable procurement systems. Your expertise, insights and contribution are invaluable as we embark on this journey together."

The government has put SOE reform squarely on the reform agenda, urging state companies to stop relying on subsidies and start delivering value: Prime Minister Marape's February 2025 push calls for efficiency, stronger governance and adoption of modern tech - explicitly naming AI and smart systems as tools to cut costs and improve service delivery - while encouraging public‑private partnerships and partial privatisation to bring in management expertise and capital; see the full Prime Minister Marape urgent SOE reforms announcement (Office of the Prime Minister, PNG) and local reporting by PNG Business News coverage of Prime Minister Marape's SOE reforms.

The directive is concrete: government funding topped K500 million over five years, PNG Power was singled out as the “sickest” SOE and ordered to deliver a strategic turnaround by March 2025 - a vivid moment that makes clear the “no more bailouts” stance and why AI‑driven predictive maintenance, demand forecasting and automated billing could be the practical fixes that restore financial health while improving service reliability for households and businesses.

Attribute	Detail
SOEs targeted	PNG Power, Water PNG, Telikom, Air Niugini, Post PNG
Recent government funding	Over K500 million (past 5 years)
PNG Power action	Strategic turnaround plan due March 2025
Reform levers	PPP / BOT models, partial privatisation (51/49), AI and smart systems

“PNG Power is struggling while many districts are looking at developing their own power generation models. If we do not fix this soon, the government will be forced to make some tough decisions.”

Blockchain and local fintech are fast becoming practical tools for PNG's public services and green economy: homegrown initiatives like T4G Token (TGT) - a dollar‑pegged, carbon‑backed “green token” issued on the eco‑friendly Fedrok blockchain - aim to turn forests and mangroves into tradable carbon value while widening payments access for the unbanked, and T4G Pay's stack (visa debit cards, EFPOS for SMEs and offline crypto‑fiat exchange) promises everyday usability from Port Moresby to the highlands; read the Weekender feature on T4G's origins and design for details Weekender feature: origins and design of the T4G Token.

At the same time the Bank of Papua New Guinea's CBDC Proof of Concept shows how a Digital Kina could lower cash handling costs, increase security and extend payments to remote merchants Bank of Papua New Guinea CBDC Proof of Concept (Digital Kina), while policy proposals and a national fintech plan published locally sketch a path for tokenised carbon credits, blockchain land registries and USSD/phone wallets to close the inclusion gap Post‑Courier analysis: PNG's AI & Blockchain national fintech plan, turning digital money from theory into tools that cut costs, speed payments and reward conservation.

“With just a mobile phone, you can receive T4G tokens, store them, send them, or spend them - like Laszlo did with his Bitcoins and pizza!”

Building the infrastructure and skills that AI needs in Papua New Guinea means two things at once: shore up fast, affordable connectivity and train people to use it - because even where a cellular signal exists, data service may be 2G‑only or extremely slow, leaving many projects stranded before they start.

Progress is visible: PNG DataCo operates about 7,000 km of fibre, two data centres including the country's only Tier‑3 facility, multiple international POPs and satellite hubs that lower costs and expand reach (PNG DataCo infrastructure overview and fibre network), while a new Coral Sea undersea link promises orders‑of‑magnitude capacity gains and the World Economic Forum notes undersea cables plus telecom upgrades could multiply bandwidth and digital adoption across provinces (World Economic Forum analysis of Papua New Guinea digital transformation).

At the same time, international funding and competing strategic interests shape choices about suppliers, standards and cybersecurity - so practical support must pair hardware with local training, resilient governance and trusted partners (including satellite options like Starlink flagged by analysts) to ensure AI actually cuts costs rather than deepens the digital divide.

Metric	Snapshot
Internet subscriptions	~11% of population
Mobile coverage	~80% of population (but many 2G/slow)
Rural population	~87% of people live in remote areas
DataCo network	~7,000 km fibre, 2 data centres, Tier‑3 facility
Undersea capacity	Coral Sea Cable - substantial capacity uplift (orders of magnitude)

“Yes, you'll be covered.”

Papua New Guinea's AI promise is real but fragile: progress on GovCloud and SevisPass sits beside a K7 million funding hole that in 2024 slowed rollout, while patchy connectivity and weak institutions could hollow out benefits before they scale.

Practical risks are visible - only ~11% internet subscription penetration, roughly 80% mobile coverage (much of it 2G or slow) and some 87% of the population living rurally - so many AI tools risk becoming urban conveniences unless undersea capacity and last‑mile networks are rapidly upgraded (the Coral Sea cable could lift capacity by orders of magnitude).

Governance gaps also matter: the National AI Adoption Framework must be finalised and paired with stronger data, procurement and legal safeguards to prevent bias, privacy erosion or PNG becoming a passive consumer of ill‑fitting systems (see the ICT Minister's update and the DevPolicy warning about the Pacific AI divide).

Next steps are straightforward and practical: prioritise investment in SevisPass and connectivity, accelerate civil‑service reskilling and regionally coordinated standards, and couple vendor partnerships with transparent procurement and local training so AI drives inclusion rather than a wider digital divide.

Challenge	Snapshot
SevisPass funding	K7 million shortfall in 2024
Internet subscriptions	~11% of population
Mobile coverage	~80% (many 2G/slow)
Rural population	~87% live in remote areas
Undersea capacity	Coral Sea cable: orders‑of‑magnitude uplift

“Despite the progress we've made, SevisPass has faced funding challenges in 2024 - including a K7 million budget shortfall.”

PNG's AI future depends on turning recent building blocks into everyday gains: the SevisPNG suite - anchored by the SevisPass digital ID and the SevisDEx data‑exchange platform due in March 2026 - promises secure, multi‑factor authentication, live photo verification and single‑sign‑on that can host up to 15 citizen services, while a new digital governance framework aims to reduce redundant systems and enable eKYC across banks and telcos (SevisDEx data‑exchange platform announcement; PNG ICT Minister update on digital government).

Realising those efficiencies will require closing funding and NID‑rollout gaps, finishing the National AI Adoption Framework and reskilling officials so automated workflows don't outpace oversight; practical training like Nucamp's Nucamp AI Essentials for Work (15‑week bootcamp) can help civil servants and managers turn policy into faster, more auditable services.

If PNG pairs secure digital ID, stronger procurement and local skills, the payoff is concrete: fewer queues, faster revenue collection and a resilient digital backbone ready for the 2027 elections and wider inclusion.

Item	Detail
SevisDEx launch	March 2026 (secure data exchange for SevisPNG)
Nucamp course	Nucamp AI Essentials for Work - 15 weeks | AI Essentials for Work syllabus (15‑week) | Register for Nucamp AI Essentials for Work (15‑week)

“SevisPass will serve as a Digital Public Infrastructure, enabling secure authentication across banking, telecommunications, and government systems.”