Marape meets with Australian academics to explore digital governance

Prime Minister Marape has met with key academics of Queensland University of Technology [QUT] and sporting partners to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the areas of digital governance, public sector reform, and community outreach.

He met them during his short visit to Brisbane, Australia over the weekend.

PM Marape said his engagements with the QUT was specifically focused on the modernization of Papua New Guinea’s ICT systems, cybersecurity, and data integrity across critical public institutions such as the Department of Finance, the Internal Revenue Commission [IRC], and other government bodies.

“We are facing increasing systemic risks across various sectors of government, particularly in ICT.

“This visit was about identifying regional partnerships and technical capabilities—especially with trusted institutions close to home—that can help us build robust firewalls, modernize our data systems, and unify our government’s digital infrastructure,” Prime Minister Marape said.

He noted that the University of Papua New Guinea and QUT are already working with PNG public agencies, including on payroll system reviews, and expressed confidence in further collaboration.

Meanwhile, apart from the academic engagements, Prime Minister Marape attended the Brisbane Broncos vs Wests Tigers rugby league match as a guest of the Broncos Club.

He held positive discussions with the Broncos chairman and CEO, focusing on continued collaboration between the club and Papua New Guinea.

“The Brisbane Broncos are not only a top-performing team on the field—they also operate under a strong business model that supports the team financially.

“We aim to model our own national teams and sports initiatives with similar corporate structures, ensuring financial sustainability and wider community engagement,” Marape said.