Papua New Guinea technology company NiuPay has won the Best AI-Powered Public Sector Innovation award at the AINext Awards 2026 in Singapore for its artificial intelligence system developed with the country's Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority (ICSA).
NiuPay chief operating officer Trevor Manokore accepted the award at a ceremony held on November 3 at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, recognising the company's MyICSA Analysis Engine (MAE), which has significantly reduced visa processing times.
The system uses generative artificial intelligence to assess visa applications and supporting documents, including passports, photographs and letters, against Papua New Guinea's immigration requirements.
According to an Amazon Web Services (AWS) case study, the technology has reduced short-term visa processing times from as long as two weeks to less than four minutes. It automatically processes about 95 per cent of short-term visa applications and can handle up to 1,000 applications daily.
The system has also processed more than 350,000 documents, according to NiuPay.
MAE automatically approves applications that meet all requirements, while cases involving uncertainty are referred to immigration officers for further assessment and decision-making.
AWS described the platform as the first generative AI deployment in a government production environment in the Pacific Islands.
The award was presented in the Excellence in AI and Technology Industry (Companies) category. Organised by Next Business Media, the annual AINext Awards recognise achievements in artificial intelligence and technology across three locations: the United States, Dubai and Singapore.
Winners are selected by an independent jury based on four equally weighted criteria: real-world impact, technical originality, scale and adoption, and responsible AI and technology practices. The assessment also considers transparency, data governance and measures to address bias.
Manokore said the recognition reflected the system's practical application within a national government rather than its development as a technology prototype.
He said MAE was designed to accelerate routine visa decisions while retaining human oversight for applications requiring additional assessment.
NiuPay chief executive officer James Inglis credited ICSA for its willingness to adopt generative AI in government operations and partner with a Papua New Guinean technology company.
He said the award demonstrated that locally developed technology could compete with solutions across the region and potentially support other public services, including land administration, taxation and education.
ICSA plans to expand MAE's capabilities to cover work permits and passport processing, while NiuPay is working with the authority to incorporate long-term visa applications into the system.
Headquartered in Port Moresby, NiuPay designs, develops and operates digital platforms for government and enterprise clients across the Pacific Islands. Its projects include the AI-assisted immigration processing system and Papua New Guinea's first digital strata titles.
The recognition adds to the country's efforts to apply artificial intelligence to public service delivery, particularly in improving administrative efficiency and access to government services.
