May 7, 2025
PNG’s minimum wage has been K3.50 per hour since 2016, but the PNG government recently announced that it will rise to K5.00 per hour, effective January 2026. On 7 May 2025, Ms. Kristi Mhart from IFPRI was invited by the Institute of National Affairs (INA) to present recent findings on the declining purchasing power of the minimum wage in urban PNG. The presentation was attended by INA’s Managing Director, Mr. Paul Barker, as well as staff from INA and the Consultative Implementation Monitoring Council (CIMC). The presentation focused on analyzing the purchasing power of minimum-wage earners and their affordability of, and access to, healthy diets.
