Papua New Guinea’s homegrown fintech, NiuPay, is rapidly transforming how government services operate, using artificial intelligence to improve revenue collection and streamline public processes. In a market where global tech giants have struggled, NiuPay is emerging as a local success story –and its latest AI-driven systems are reshaping immigration and land management.
Founded in 2018 by James Inglis and Jason Kurdzinski, NiuPay began as a project to help PNG’s consulates centralise and digitise revenue collection. What started with just four employees is now a 40-strong tech firm, on track to reach 60 by the end of the year, making it one of the largest homegrown tech employers in Port Moresby.
In March 2025, NiuPay launched its most ambitious product yet: an AI-powered visa processing system for the Papua New Guinea government. Previously, visa applications could take weeks to process manually. The new cloud-based platform, delivered via AWS data centres in Australia but fully controlled by Papua New Guinea, can now handle up to 1000 applications daily, issuing real-time decisions in minutes. This upgrade arrives just in time for a tourism upswing and the planned 2028 debut of Papua New Guinea’s NRL team.
Immigration Minister John Rosso said the system enables faster, data-backed decision-making that supports economic growth while maintaining border security. Crucially, the platform was designed to augment—not replace—human workers, allowing public servants to focus on complex cases rather than routine tasks.
Beyond immigration, NiuPay is also overhauling the national land tax system. Replacing an underutilised legacy platform, it deployed a new digital solution that now captures millions of kina in previously lost revenue. Landowners can now check titles, pay tax, and receive receipts online—all in real time.
Inglis, who grew up in Papua New Guinea, says their approach—embedding in the country rather than flying in—has been key to success. NiuPay is also working with Papua New Guinea University of Technology to train local graduates in AI and software development.
Adapted from “Paradise Tech: AI is changing the game for PNG” by Eric Johnston, The Australian, 28 July 2025.
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