In 2004, the Mt Hagen Local Level Government received a grant from the PNG-Australia Partnership to upgrade the Hagen Market and provide training for local vendors. Since the market opened in 2006 it has supported improvements to economic security for all of its vendors, most of them women and has become an agricultural centre of the country, supplying produce nationwide. In 2015, the PNG-Australia Partnership also upgraded the Lorengau Market in Manus Province. This enabled an increase in the number of stalls from 480 to 740 provision for 8 small shops and upgraded WASH facilities.
