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    AI in Papua New Guinea: the rules, the readiness and where to start

    Last checked: 29 October 2026

    What should a company in Papua New Guinea know before starting with AI?

    Papua New Guinea has no data protection act and no AI law as of 29 October 2026. The draft Data Governance and Data Protection Bill 2026 would add breach reporting, impact assessments and human review of automated decisions, and public consultation closed on 19 August 2026. Firms that work with government also need to know the Digital Government Act 2022.

    At a glance

    Papua New Guinea at a glance

    Key facts about Papua New Guinea
    Data protection lawNo data protection act as of 29 October 2026. Data Governance and Data Protection Bill 2026 is a draft (fifth version)
    RegulatorNone yet for data protection. The draft bill would make NICTA the National Data Authority; the Department of ICT administers the Digital Government Act 2022
    AI policyDraft PNG Government AI Adoption Framework (February 2026) and draft National Sovereign Digital Transformation and AI Strategy (March 2026). No AI law as of 29 October 2026
    Time zoneUTC+10 (UTC+11 in Bougainville), no daylight saving (4.5 hours ahead of India)
    CurrencyPGK (kina)
    Business languageEnglish, Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu

    Why now

    Why Papua New Guinea is worth watching

    Each point links to the document it comes from.

    • The Prime Minister said in December 2025 that 2026 would be a transition year for building AI frameworks, safeguards and pilot systems in government.[7]

    • The Department of ICT published a draft AI Adoption Framework for government on 27 February 2026, which calls for an AI legislative framework.[3]

    • A draft National Sovereign Digital Transformation and AI Strategy followed in March 2026, proposing a National Artificial Intelligence Act and a Data Governance and Protection Act.[4]

    • Public consultation on the Data Governance and Data Protection Bill 2026 closed on 19 August 2026.[2]

    • The bill would give legal effect to the National Data Governance and Data Protection Policy 2024 and would apply to both public and private sectors.[2]

    The rules

    The rules that matter for AI

    What each law or policy means when you build or buy an AI system.

    Constitution of Papua New Guinea, section 49: right to privacy

    In force1975Every person has the right to reasonable privacy in their private and family life, communications and documents. It can be limited only by laws that meet the Constitution's general rules on limits. With no data protection act yet, this is the main general privacy protection.[5]

    Digital Government Act 2022

    In force2022The Act came into force on 8 August 2022 and is administered by the Department of ICT. A public body must get written approval from the Department's head before it adopts, buys or uses an ICT project design. An AI project for a government client will usually need this approval before procurement.[6]

    Data Governance and Data Protection Bill 2026 (fifth draft)

    Draft2026As drafted, controllers would report breaches to the authority within 72 hours, appoint a Data Governance Officer and run impact assessments, with a mandatory one before any biometric system goes live. People could ask for human review of decisions made wholly or substantially by AI that harm their rights, with written reasons within 30 days. These terms may change before the bill passes.[1]

    Draft PNG Government AI Adoption Framework and draft AI Strategy

    Draft2026Both are drafts for government, not rules for business. They set a direction of building AI on national digital infrastructure such as SevisPass, and propose a National Digital Economy Authority for oversight. We found no final version as of 29 October 2026.[4]

    Where AI fits first

    Where AI fits first

    Government services and suppliers

    Document search, form processing and drafting replies for agencies, with officers making decisions.

    ICT project designs for public bodies need Department of ICT approval under the Digital Government Act 2022. The draft bill would bar public bodies from fully automated decisions on rights or services without human review.[1]

    Digital ID and onboarding

    Identity checks for customer onboarding that link to national digital ID services.

    The draft AI Strategy plans to build AI services on SevisPass and related platforms. The draft bill would make an impact assessment mandatory before deploying biometric systems.[4]

    Mining, energy and large employers

    Summarising reports, maintenance records and safety documents.

    We found no AI-specific rule for these sectors. Staff data would fall under the bill if it passes, so plan for notices and impact assessments now.[1]

    Your first steps

    Your first steps

    1. List the personal data your AI uses, where it is stored and who can access it.
    2. Name one person to own data protection, as the draft bill would require a Data Governance Officer.
    3. Run a simple impact assessment before using AI on staff, customer or biometric data.
    4. Keep a person reviewing any AI decision that affects someone's rights or access to services, and record the review.
    5. Prepare a breach process that could report within 72 hours, in line with the draft bill.
    6. If you supply government, check whether your project needs Department of ICT approval under the Digital Government Act 2022.
    7. Follow the Department of ICT's site for the final bill, AI framework and strategy.

    AI services for Papua New Guinea

    AI consulting and development for teams in Papua New Guinea

    We work remotely with companies in Papua New Guinea, in your time zone, and keep your data under the rules described above.

    AI agents and automation

    Agents that finish multi-step work across your tools, with people approving what matters.
    Learn more

    Document Q&A (RAG)

    Answers from your own documents, with the source shown for every answer.
    Learn more

    AI governance and data protection

    Policies, review steps and audit trails that fit your local data law.
    Learn more

    Software and cloud engineering

    Web apps, integrations and cloud platforms built around your AI use case.
    Learn more

    How we work with you

    How we work with you

    We work remotely with clients worldwide, in the client's time zone. Port Moresby is on UTC+10 with no daylight saving, and India is on UTC+5:30, a 4.5 hour gap. Taking a 9:00 to 17:00 day in PNG and 9:30 to 18:30 in India, the overlap is about 3 hours, from 14:00 to 17:00 PNG time. We use that window for calls and handle the rest in writing.

    Questions

    Common questions about AI in Papua New Guinea

    Does Papua New Guinea have a data protection law?

    Not as of 29 October 2026. The Constitution protects privacy, and the Data Governance and Data Protection Bill 2026 is a draft whose public consultation closed on 19 August 2026. We found no record of it passing.

    Is there an AI law?

    No. The government has published a draft AI Adoption Framework and a draft AI Strategy, and the strategy proposes a National Artificial Intelligence Act. The draft data bill also contains interim AI rules.

    What would the draft bill mean for AI decisions?

    As drafted, people could ask for human review of decisions made wholly or substantially by AI that harm their rights, and must be told of that right in Tok Pisin too. Public bodies could not make such decisions by automated means alone.

    What penalties are in the draft bill?

    The fifth draft sets fines that vary by offence. For example, a body corporate that breaks the core controller duties, including breach reporting, could be fined up to K500,000. The final amounts may change.

    Complimentary tools

    Try these first

    Three complimentary tools from our AI Toolkit that suit a team starting out.

    AI readiness score

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    Open the tool

    AI use case triage

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    Read next

    Sources

    Sources

    Facts checked on 29 October 2026. Numbers in square brackets above match this list.
    1. [1] Department of Information and Communications Technology, Papua New Guinea, 2026-10-29. Data Governance and Data Protection Act 2026, Proposed Draft 5th Versio…(ict.gov.pg)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Data Governance and Data Protection Act 2026, Proposed Draft 5th Version (public consultation). Primary draft, read in full text and accessed on this date. Used for the 72 hour breach report, Data Governance Officer, impact assessments, biometric DPIA, sections 69 and 70 on automated decisions and the fines. It is a draft and may change.

    2. [2] Department of Information and Communications Technology and NICTA, 2026-08-19. Public Consultation Notice: Data Governance and Data Protection Bill 20…(ict.gov.pg)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Public Consultation Notice: Data Governance and Data Protection Bill 2026. Primary. Used for the purpose and scope of the bill, its link to the 2024 policy, the proposed role of NICTA and the closing date of 19 August 2026.

    3. [3] Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, 2026-02-24. Press statement: Release of Draft PNG Government Artificial Intelligenc…(ict.gov.pg)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Press statement: Release of Draft PNG Government Artificial Intelligence Adoption Framework for public consultation. Primary. Used for the publication date of 27 February 2026, the AI Taskforce and the call for an AI legislative framework.

    4. [4] Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, 2026-03-22. Press statement: Release of Draft National Sovereign Digital Transforma…(ict.gov.pg)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Press statement: Release of Draft National Sovereign Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence Strategy for public consultation. Primary. Used for the proposed laws, the National Digital Economy Authority and the link to SevisPass and other national platforms.

    5. [5] Constitute Project, 2026-10-29. Papua New Guinea's Constitution of 1975 with amendments through 2016(constituteproject.org)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Papua New Guinea's Constitution of 1975 with amendments through 2016. Text of the Constitution, used for section 49 on the right to privacy.

    6. [6] Department of Information and Communications Technology, Papua New Guinea, 2022-08-08. Notice 02/2022: Approval of an ICT Project Design for adoption or purch…(ict.gov.pg)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Notice 02/2022: Approval of an ICT Project Design for adoption or purchase. Primary. Used for the Digital Government Act 2022 enactment (21 April 2022), commencement (8 August 2022) and the section 14 approval rule for public bodies.

    7. [7] Office of the Prime Minister and NEC, Papua New Guinea, 2025-12-23. Prime Minister Marape says 2026 will mark shift to AI-driven government(pmnec.gov.pg)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Prime Minister Marape says 2026 will mark shift to AI-driven government. Primary. Used for the Prime Minister's statement that 2026 would be a transition year for AI frameworks, safeguards and pilots.

    8. [8] Department of Information and Communications Technology, Papua New Guinea, 2024-03-27. National Data Governance and Data Protection Policy 2024(ict.gov.pg)
      Full title and what we used it for

      National Data Governance and Data Protection Policy 2024. Primary policy document. Used to confirm the policy that the bill would put into law. We did not confirm the date of its formal Cabinet approval.

    This is general information, not legal advice. Most of the rules described here are drafts and may change before they become law. Check with a qualified Papua New Guinean lawyer before you act. Facts checked on 29 October 2026.

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