In PNG, minimum wage earners get K280 every two weeks—K3.50 an hour for 80 hours.

In PNG, minimum wage earners get K280 every two weeks—K3.50 an hour for 80 hours.

In PNG, minimum wage earners get K280 every two weeks—K3.50 an hour for 80 hours. That’s K7,280 a year. But with rising costs, it’s not enough. Food (K100), rent (K200), and transport (K80) hit K380 a fortnight—K100 over K280. Yearly, it’s K9,880 spent vs. K7,280 earned. Rice at K6, fuel at K5, and no wage rise since 2014 leave workers stretched thin. The Kina’s weaker (25 US cents now vs. 40 in 2014), and inflation bites hard.

The tax break up to K20,000 a year means no tax on K7,280—K280 stays K280. It helps, but it’s no fix. At K20,000, you’d keep more of a livable wage; at K7,280, it’s just survival cash. Costs outpace pay, and the gap grows—K2,600 short annually. Kids or emergencies make it worse.

PNG’s wealth skips these workers. The K280 fortnightly pay is stuck, while living costs soar. A May 2025 review could change it—but we must push. Share how K280 fails you. Demand a wage that fits 2025, not 2014. The tax break’s a start, but K280 needs a real boost.