Papua New Guinea has taken a significant step in its digital transformation programme after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia's Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to strengthen digital government capabilities through research, innovation and workforce development.
The agreement was witnessed by Prime Minister James Marape and Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Minister Kinoka Feo, while Acting Information and Communication Technology Minister Peter Tsiamalili formally signed the MoU with QUT.
The partnership establishes a framework for cooperation aimed at supporting the government's digital transformation agenda through innovation, knowledge exchange and capacity building.
Under the agreement, QUT will assist the government in driving public-sector innovation, strengthening the country's digital transformation workforce, and developing research and implementation opportunities centred on the SevisPass Digital Identity Ecosystem and other priority digital initiatives.
Tsiamalili described the agreement as the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership that would help Papua New Guinea transition from policy development to implementation while safeguarding national interests.
"Today's Memorandum of Understanding is not the end of the journey; it is the beginning of a strategic partnership that will enable PNG to move confidently from policy to implementation while protecting our national interests," he said.
He emphasised that the government would ensure all future projects arising from the partnership comply with Papua New Guinea's legal, procurement and governance frameworks.
Following advice from the Office of the State Solicitor, the MoU serves only as a framework for cooperation and does not constitute a commercial agreement. Individual projects undertaken under the partnership will require separate agreements, funding arrangements and formal government approvals.
The government said future agreements would specifically address procurement processes, intellectual property rights, software ownership, cybersecurity, licensing, system maintenance and knowledge transfer to safeguard the country's interests.
Data sovereignty will also remain a key component of the partnership. The government said all digital solutions developed under the collaboration must preserve Papua New Guinea's ownership and control of government data while complying with national cybersecurity and public administration laws.
The initiative forms part of the Marape-Rosso government's broader strategy to modernise public administration, strengthen secure digital infrastructure and improve the delivery of public services.
Tsiamalili thanked QUT, the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, the Department of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council, the Office of the State Solicitor and other participating agencies for supporting the partnership.
"Today we sign with purpose. Tomorrow we begin the disciplined work of implementation. Together, we will build a digitally empowered PNG that is innovative, secure, sovereign and ready for the future," he said.
