Prime Minister James Marape has reaffirmed his Government’s objective of securing Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) removal from the dreaded Gray List.

However, he said leaving the list must be accompanied by lasting improvements that would prevent the country from returning to it.

“Our objective should not be just to get PNG off the grey listing,” he said.

Reforms must become part of the normal operation of government, financial institutions, and the wider economy, rather than a temporary response to international monitoring.

He warned that economic growth would deliver less benefit to the people if money laundering and the loss of public funds continued.

Prime Minister Marape said the shift towards a digital economy should also strengthen the ability to trace transactions and hold those responsible for wrongdoing accountable.

The prime minister said this at the closing of the Second Anti-Money Laundering, Counter Terrorist Financing and Counter Proliferation Financing Conference at APEC Haus in Port Moresby yesterday.

PNG was formally placed on Grey List on the 13th of February 2026 by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The action by the FATF stems from the underlying issue that PNG had not made sufficient progress in strengthening its system for preventing and prosecuting money laundering and terrorist financing.