Minimum wage debates in a developing country setting: Evidence from Papua New Guinea

Benedict Imbun

The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 2015, vol. 26, issue 1, 137-153

Abstract: Contributing to the broader topic of minimum wage determination in developing countries, this article discusses the shaping and implementation of minimum wage policy in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It begins by outlining the institutional arrangements under which minimum wage rates are determined in PNG. It then critically examines the argument that wage levels in the country are unsustainably high – a claim that has perennially characterised Papua New Guinea (PNG) minimum wage fixing. The article argues that, on the contrary, wage levels are indeed low and not adequate to reasonably support a single worker, let alone a family in an urban setting. This counter-argument is discussed in the context of debates over minimum wage levels and their relationship to economic growth, employment creation, international competitiveness, and capacity to pay. Whilst focusing on the PNG wage fixing system, the article thus sheds light on the dilemmas and challenges facing wages policy generally in a developing country setting.

Keywords: Central wage fixing; developing country; minimum wage; minimum wages board; Papua New Guinea; PNG (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:26:y:2015:i:1:p:137-153

DOI: 10.1177/1035304615570807

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