Australia welcomes outcomes of PNG adviser review

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has welcomed the completion of a comprehensive review of advisers which will lead to a more effective Australian aid program in Papua New Guinea.

The PNG review is part of an overall Australian aid program adviser review announced in the May Budget Statement.

'The Australian Government is committed to strengthening the aid program and ensuring value-for-money across all the development assistance programs,' said Mr Rudd.

Mr Rudd discussed the PNG adviser review report with his counterpart, PNG Foreign Minister Sam Abal this week.

Both agreed the review had been a valuable exercise to ensure a more targeted allocation of advisers and a reduction in the level of advisory support. The finalisation of the review was an outcome of the July 2010 Australia - PNG Ministerial Meeting.

The jointly conducted PNG adviser review examined the role of each adviser position to ensure that its allocation was an effective response to meeting agreed development needs and priorities.

The review considered 487 positions. An outcome of this review is that PNG and Australia have now agreed that over one-third of positions will be phased out within two years.

The review confirmed that, deployed in a targeted and cost-effective way, advisers can be a valued and effective part of Australia's aid to PNG.

For example, AusAID Advisers helped carry out a measles immunisation program which ensured that 81 percent of children from a target of 1.148 million receive a vaccination against measles and other childhood diseases. Furthermore, knowledge and skills have been transferred from advisers to their in-country counterparts so the advisory support is no longer needed.

The PNG review takes into consideration that the need to build up skills remains a high priority over the next decade, particularly as revenues from the LNG project will grow the economy and will require a skilled workforce.

'Australia remains committed to assisting PNG with the effective delivery of the LNG project, and will continue to work separately with PNG on addressing some immediate capacity gaps,' Mr Rudd said.

Adviser reviews in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have also been conducted and are in the process of finalisation. A report outlining the final outcomes of the overall Australian aid program adviser review will be considered by the Australian Government in due course

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