Economy overview: Papua New Guinea is rich in natural resources, but their development is constrained by rugged terrain and high infrastructure costs. 85% of the population lives on subsistence agriculture. Mining, including oil, copper and gold, provides 72% of export earnings. Behind the average annual GDP growth of 3.4% during 1979-98. hides significant year-to-year variations associated with negative externalities, natural disasters, and economic management problems. In the second half of the 1990s. growth was weak, real GDP in 1999 was only slightly more than 3% higher than in 1994, which was insufficient to compensate for population growth. The new government under Prime Minister Mekere MORAUTA promised in July 1999 to preserve the integrity of state institutions, stabilize the local currency, balance the national budget, privatize state-owned enterprises where necessary, and ensure peace on the island of Bougainville. The government has had significant success in attracting international assistance, especially from the IMF and the World Bank, which provided development loans. However, the government still has to tackle critical tasks, including building investor confidence, especially to attract them to the construction of an oil pipeline to Australia, continuing to privatize state property, and maintaining support from lawmakers who, after July 15, 2001, have the right to remove the government in the result of a vote of no confidence. where necessary and ensure peace on the island of Bougainville. The government has had significant success in attracting international assistance, especially from the IMF and the World Bank, which provided development loans. However, the government still has to tackle critical tasks, including building investor confidence, especially to attract them to the construction of an oil pipeline to Australia, continuing to privatize state property, and maintaining support from lawmakers who, after July 15, 2001, have the right to remove the government in the result of a vote of no confidence. where necessary and ensure peace on the island of Bougainville. The government has had significant success in attracting international assistance, especially from the IMF and the World Bank, which provided development loans. However, the government still has to tackle critical tasks, including building investor confidence, especially to attract them to the construction of an oil pipeline to Australia, continuing to privatize state property, and maintaining support from lawmakers who, after July 15, 2001, have the right to remove the government in the result of a vote of no confidence. GDP: at purchasing power parity – $12.2 billion (2000 est.). Real GDP growth rate: 2.9% (2000 est.). GDP per capita: Purchasing power parity – $2,500 (2000 est.). The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: 30%; industry: 35%; services: 35% (1999 est.). Proportion of population below the poverty line: 37%. Percentage distribution of family income or consumption: per 10% of the poorest families: 1.7%; by the top 10% of families: 40.5% (1996). Inflation rate at consumer prices: 17% (2000 est.). Labor force: 1.941 million people Employment structure: agriculture – 85%. Unemployment rate: no data. Budget: revenues: $1.6 billion; expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures – NA (1998 est.). Spheres of economy: production of copra, processing of palm oil, production of plywood and wood shavings; mining of gold, silver and copper; oil production; construction, tourism. Growth in industrial production: no data available. Electricity generation: 1.82 billion kWh (1999) Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: 54.95%; hydropower: 45.05%; nuclear fuel: 0%; others: 0% (1999). Electricity consumption: 1.693 billion kWh (1999) Electricity export: 0 kWh (1999). Electricity import: 0 kWh (1999). Agricultural products: coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruits, vegetables; poultry, pork. Exports: $2.1 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Exports: oil, gold, copper ore, timber, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish and shrimp. Export partners: Australia 30%, Japan 12%, Germany 7%, South Korea 4%, Philippines 3%, UK 3% (1999). Imports: $1 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Imports: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, fuels, chemicals. Import partners: Australia 53%, Singapore 130%, Japan 6%, US 4%, New Zealand 4%, Malaysia 4% (1999). External debt: $2.9 billion (2000 est.) Economic aid recipient: $400 million (1999 est.) Economic aid donor: Currency: Kina. Currency code: PGK. Exchange rate: PGK/USD -2.81 (Oct 2000), 2.696 (2000), 2.539 (1999), 2.058 (1998), 1.434 (1997), 1.318 (1996). Fiscal year: calendar year.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 47,000 (1996). Mobile cellular phones: 3053 (1996). Telephone system: satisfactory service; the system is being upgraded; there are radiotelephone and telegraph communications; domestic: predominantly radiotelephony; international: submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite ground stations -1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); international radio communication. Broadcast stations: AM – 8, FM – 19, shortwave – 28 (1998). Radio receivers: 410,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 3 (1997). TVs: 42,000 (1997). Internet country code: pg Internet service providers: 3 (2000). Number of users: 2,000 (2000).
Transport
Transport Railways: 0 km. Roads: total length: 19,600 km; coated: 686 km;. unpaved: 18,914 km (1996 est.) Waterways: 10,940 km. Ports and harbours: Kieta, Lae, Madang, Port More-sby, Ribop. Merchant fleet: total: 20 vessels (of 1,000 tons displacement or more) with a total displacement of 35,361 gross register tons / 51,096 long tons of gross tonnage; ships of various types: bulk carriers – 1, cargo ships – 9, chemical tankers – 1, combined ore and oil carriers – 3, container ships – 1, oil tankers – 3, ferries – 2 (2000 est.). Airports: 492 (2000 est.). Airports with paved runways: total: 20; from 2438 to 3047 m:2; from 1524 to 2437 m:13; from 914 to 1523 m:4; less than 914 m: 1 (2000 est.). Airports with unpaved runways: total: 472; from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13; from 914 to 1,523 m: 57; less than 914 m: 402 (2000 est.). Helipads: 2 (2000 ests).
Armed forces
Branches of the Armed Forces: Papua New Guinea Defense Forces (includes ground, naval and air forces and a special forces unit). See militarynous.com to know more about Papua New Guinea Military. Conscription age: Total military manpower: men 15 to 49: 1,306,159 (2001 est.). Eligible for military service: men 15 to 49 pets: 723,012 (2001 est.). Number of persons reaching military age each year: Military spending in dollar terms: $42 million (1998). Military spending as part of GDP: 1% (1998).
