‘PNG has high growth rate’

 THE Pacific Institute of Public Policy has revealed that Papua New Guinea’s population has the highest rate of growth alongside Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

According to the institute’s report, Pacific island populations were becoming more urbanised. 

It stated that governments must give “serious consideration” to housing, health, education, investment and employment policies if they were to effectively tackle urbanisation.

“A combination of high unemployment, climate change and a looming energy crisis means radical new thinking is needed on how to best evolve our cities and towns for the future.”

The report quotes statistics from the United Nations Secretariat that predicts there will be another 1.3 million people living in urban centres in the Pacific by 2030.

Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea are expected to record the highest rates of growth.

Communications officer with the Institute, Talita Tui’pulotu, said young people were leading the charge from the remote areas into the cities.

“It’s just a futile effort now to try and get people to go back to the villages because people are here to stay and we need to do something about it,” she said.