Publication: Papua New Guinea : Poverty and Access to Public Services
Date
2000-02-18
ISSN
Published
2000-02-18
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
This report analyzes the distribution of
income, constructs a poverty profile, and looks at the
extent to which the poor have access to basic services in
Papua New Guinea. The analysis is based on data collected
during a national household survey in 1996, and, data on a
range of socioeconomic indicators, were collected nationally
among urban, and rural households, within the country's
five major regions. This shows that the distribution of
consumption is highly uneven, since real per capita
consumption level is over eight times higher than the
poorest quartile, with marked disparities in consumption
levels. A detailed review on the distribution of access to
basic services, such as education, health care, rural
infrastructure, and utilities is presented, suggesting the
unequal access to these services further accentuates the
effects of unequal income distribution. The county's
safety net system is examined, revealing this system allows
for income transfers from members of a particular
"wantok" - informal network based on ethnicity,
language, etc. - to needy members of the same wantok.
Although this system adapted relatively well to changing
socioeconomic environments, it does not appear to improve
income distribution in rural areas. Finally, the report
concludes that to effectively alleviate poverty, additional
analysis needs to be undertaken, to include the factors
which hinder productivity, and income.
Citation
“World Bank. 2000. Papua New Guinea : Poverty and Access to Public Services. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/14973?show=full License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”