PAPUA New Guinea is stepping into the future

PAPUA New Guinea is stepping into the future. At the Innovation PNG Conference 2025 at Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby, we saw something exciting — how AI is already helping businesses here in PNG.

And now, it’s time for the Government to lead by building AI-driven financial technology infrastructure to support this new way of working.

What is AI?

Artificial Intelligence or AI, is when computers and machines can do tasks that normally need human thinking — like reading, learning, making decisions or solving problems. It’s like giving a computer a brain to help people do things faster and smarter. Another way of doing a task faster and effective. AI is a tool for people to use to work in a smarter way.

Nasfund shows us what’s possible

One good example is Nasfund, our local superannuation company. At the recent conference, their CEO, Rajeev Sharma, shared how they use an AI-powered system to manage invoices (bills from suppliers).

In the past, their staff had to check every invoice by hand. Now, AI does it automatically — saving time and reducing mistakes. Because of this, Nasfund improved its accounts work by 40 per cent. That means they can serve members better, with less paperwork. This shows that AI works, even in PNG.

How government can help

Now imagine if we had more companies using AI — or young PNGans learning how to build these smart tools. This is where the Government can make a big difference. The Government can create AI-driven fintech infrastructure to support banks, schools, businesses and government departments.

Here’s how:

Build a national AI and fintech center

This can be in Port Moresby, Lae, Hagen or any main town. It will be a place for training, research and developing local AI solutions.

Young people can learn how to build apps, analyse data and create AI tools for PNG problems.

Support businesses to use AI

The government can give small grants or tax breaks to businesses that use AI to improve their services — just like Nasfund did. This support will encourage local companies to try new ideas.

Use AI in government services

AI can help speed up payroll, school fee payments, NID processing and even checking if contracts are done properly. This will reduce delays and improve public service delivery.

Help banks and Mobile money grow smarter

AI can help banks detect fraud, approve small loans or even assist people with savings advice. With many people in rural areas using mobile phones, fintech tools powered by AI can bring banking services to remote places.

Why this matters for the future of PNG

Many other countries like Dubai, India and Singapore are already using AI to improve government and business systems. Dubai even has a minister of AI, AI festivals and AI research centers.

At the Innovation PNG Conference, Bhagat Aditya, CEO of BankBuddy.ai, said: “AI innovation is not limited by geography or resources. It is a mindset.” This means PNG can do it too. We don’s need to wait for the rest of the world. We just need to believe in ourselves and start small.

Real Benefits for Ordinary People

AI in financial technology can:

Help farmers get mobile loans faster

Let teachers get paid on time through smart systems

Make it easier for students to apply for school fee support

Allow local businesses to track spending and pay bills more easily

Help government avoid double payments or missing records

What’s next?

We don’t need to build everything at once. The government can start by:

Setting up a small National AI Taskforce

Choosing one or two departments to pilot AI projects

Partnering with universities, banks and companies like NASFUND

Hosting PNG’s first AI innovation festival — to inspire young minds and showcase local talent

This is how we can build a smart PNG — with technology made by our own people, for our own future.

AI is not science fiction anymore. It’s already working in PNG. Nasfund has shown us that. The next step is for the Government to take the lead, build the right infrastructure and help more people benefit from this smart technology.

It’s time for PNG to believe in innovation — and take action. We don’t need to import experts to build AI platforms. We have local firms in AI existing, if you a project idea in AI and want to built it, get in touch with the author, we can connect you with the local AI businesses.

The Marape-Roso Govt is supporting AI, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency projects in the country. This Government wants to deliver National AI, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency projects as a 50th anniversary gift to PNG, something not only historical but these technologies as a tool will drive economy growth in the next few years.

T4G Pay, a blockchain-based payment solution designed for everyday transactions and backed by PNG’s carbon reserve, is one of the blockchain projects in PNG that solves some pressing issues in the county.