09/03/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/02/2024 22:31
The Global Gateway is the EU's positive offer of cooperation to our partner countries in support of their own strategic autonomy, aligning partner countries and EU interests, by scaling up high-quality geostrategic investments and promoting sustainable financing.
Covering five main themes (digital, climate and energy, transport, health and education and research), Global Gateway initiatives worldwide are implemented through a Team Europe approach where possible.
In Papua New Guinea, the EU is working on flagship initiatives regarding rural economic development, climate and energy and transport.
Country Flagship 'Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade (EU-STREIT)'
The EU 'Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade in Papua New Guinea' (EU-STREIT PNG) programme is with a budget of EUR 81.3 million the largest grant-funded initiative of the EU in the country and in the Pacific, implemented by a consortium of UN agencies under the lead of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The programme aims to help improve the lives of the people from East Sepik and Sandaun provinces of Papua New Guinea, by focusing on increasing sustainable and inclusive economic development of rural areas through improved economic returns and opportunities from cocoa, vanilla and fishery value chains while strengthening and improving the efficiency of value chain enablers, including the business environment, and supporting sustainable, climate-proof transport and energy infrastructure development. Supported infrastructure development includes the installation of off-grid solar energy generation, clearing of waterways, rehabilitation of rural airstrips, and rehabilitation and maintenance of feeder roads.
Country Flagship 'Upgrading of Rabaul's Green Port'
The 'Upgrading of Rabaul's Green Port' is a blending project for a total of EUR 60.3 million with a grant from the EU and loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French Development Agency (AFD), including a requested EFSD+ guarantee for the EIB loan. The project will provide consultancy services for construction and project management, technical assistance, capacity building, and partially funding civil works investments. Civil works encompass the rehabilitation and enhancement of the two port wharves, a maintenance dredging operation, establishment of a site-wide stormwater drainage network and upgrades to the water supply and sanitation network the acquisition of new equipment, and enhancement of port's operations with a focus on green port principles. This will ultimately contribute to territorial cohesion, inter-island connectivity, and the preservation of PNG's natural heritage.