Department of Information and Communications Technology secretary Steven Matainaho Photo: Scott Waide
Analysis - For Papua New Guinea's vocal community of digital creators, the dream of earning a living from online content has long been met with a harsh reality: a lack of direct monetisation pathways.
While creators in other parts of the world can easily earn revenue from platforms like YouTube and Facebook, their PNG counterparts have faced significant barriers.
But a strategic shift in government policy is beginning to change that, positioning the nation's budding digital economy for future growth.
The primary hurdle has been the absence of seamless integration between international digital platforms and PNG's financial infrastructure.
Global payment gateways, like PayPal, have not been widely accessible, leaving local creators with no easy way to receive earnings.
A coordinated government approach
The gap has been a glaring indictment on the government's lack of attention to the potential of the digital economy.
In the last three years, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has taken a "whole-of-government approach" to create the necessary policy and legal frameworks.
DICT secretary Steven Matainaho has been actively engaged with global tech giants like Google and Meta to push for greater access for PNG's creators. This isn't just a technical fix; it's a strategic effort to build a foundation of trust and compliance.
The work on policy and legislation is crucial. Unfortunately, PNG has historically lacked key legal frameworks, such as a dedicated data protection law, which is a significant barrier.
This has led to government departments operating in silos, with each agency collecting the same citizen data multiple times. Matainaho highlights that without a clear policy on data governance and protection, it's difficult to create a unified system.
This policy work is directly tied to the success of monetisation. In a significant breakthrough, the DICT successfully worked with YouTube to permanently enable monetization tools for Papua New Guinean creators, a move that provides a clear pathway for them to earn income from their content.
This success has now set the stage for similar discussions with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The DICT is actively working with Meta to case-manage a list of over 100 interested content creators to explore how they can be onboarded onto the company's monetisation programs.
The role of digital IDs
A key enabler for this monetisation push is the country's developing digital ID system.
As Matainaho has noted, most social media platforms and international payment systems require a digital ID for monetisation. This is a critical step in combating fraud and meeting global standards for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.
The push for a national digital ID system is therefore directly linked to these monetization efforts, as it provides the necessary trust and security for digital transactions.
The urgency is underscored by PNG's financial standing. The country is on track to be placed on the global "grey list" in 2026 for its financial systems.
A significant portion of this is a direct result of not having a digital ID system to monitor anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.
This makes it clear that the work on digital IDs and monetisation are deeply intertwined and critical for PNG's financial reputation on the world stage.
This comprehensive approach demonstrates that monetisation is not a standalone issue. It's part of a larger, interconnected strategy to build a robust digital public infrastructure, complete with a secure digital ID and a modern payment ecosystem.
While challenges remain, the government's sustained efforts are beginning to bear fruit.
By addressing the foundational issues of policy, infrastructure, and identity, Papua New Guinea is paving the way for its young and vibrant content creators to earn an income from their work and fully participate in the global digital economy.
