Anna Bjerde, the World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, recently completed a week-long visit to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, where she emphasized the need for innovative approaches to job creation and economic resilience in the Pacific. Her visit focused on accelerating development outcomes and ensuring that World Bank-supported initiatives deliver tangible benefits to communities, particularly youth.
During her visit, Bjerde announced a major reform to the World Bank’s procurement framework. Under the new rules, companies bidding on international civil works contracts—such as those related to transport and energy infrastructure—must allocate at least 30 percent of labor costs to local employment. This change is designed to ensure that infrastructure investments contribute directly to job creation and local economic growth.
In Fiji, Bjerde took part in the Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting, where she highlighted the importance of maintaining the region’s connectivity with global financial institutions. She reaffirmed the World Bank’s support for a regional correspondent banking project, which is already active in eight Pacific nations, with more countries expected to join soon.
In Papua New Guinea, Bjerde met with Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and engaged with young beneficiaries of an urban youth employment project. She stressed that creating inclusive employment opportunities, especially for youth, is essential to national development and remains a central focus of the World Bank Group’s regional strategy.
Bjerde’s visit also underscored the World Bank Group’s expanded commitment to the Pacific. This includes establishing new director-level positions in Suva and Port Moresby and increasing the number of technical experts deployed throughout the region. These efforts aim to bring global expertise closer to Pacific governments for more responsive and effective development support.
Over the past 12 years, World Bank operations in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific have grown more than seven-fold. Currently, there are 86 active projects totaling US$3.4 billion in commitments. Notably, in fiscal year 2025, nearly half of the World Bank’s investment in the Pacific was dedicated to climate financing, reflecting the Bank’s focus on building long-term resilience and climate-adaptive infrastructure.
Bjerde concluded her visit in Australia, where she met with high-level government officials and development partners. Discussions centered on strengthening Australia’s partnership with the World Bank in the Pacific and on Australia’s vital support to IDA—the International Development Association—which provides concessional funding to Papua New Guinea and many other Pacific Island countries.
