Prime Minister James Marape yesterday during the parliament sitting reaffirmed that his Government has been fair and consistent in distributing Funding support across all Districts and Provinces in Papua New Guinea since taking office in 2019, rejecting claims of bias or political victimization made in Parliament by the Member for Chuave, James Nomane.
In his address to Parliament, Prime Minister Marape emphasized that his government has maintained a policy of fairness and accountability in the District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) and Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP) allocations, ensuring that every District and Province benefits regardless of political affiliation.
“I want to place on record that this Government, for the past six consecutive years, has done its utmost best to be fair to all Districts and Provinces right across the country,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“If we were not fair, then even Chuave District would not have received K7 million this year — that’s already been transferred to date.”
He explained that even Members of Parliament on the Opposition side have received over half of their DSIP allocations to date, including other components such as Infrastructure and Kina-for-Kina policy grants, so long as their projects align with Government development priorities under MTDP IV (Medium-Term Development Plan4).
“Every Member and District that complies with the national development policy gets their due funding,” he added.
“We have not discriminated against anyone. Our approach is based on national interest, not political colour.”
Prime Minister Marape noted that since 2019, a total of K56 billion has been disbursed through the Budget process to Provinces, Districts, Government Departments, and Statutory Bodies — all documented and transparent.
“We are not a government that hides disbursement,” he stressed. “We have been transparent, telling the country how much has been transferred to every District, every Province, and every Sector.”
“In fact, I met with the Auditor General last week and requested a full Audit Report on all Departmental Agencies and Sectors that have received public funds.”
The Prime Minister said that all Agencies and Sectors receiving public funds are required under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) to submit Annual Reports by 31st March each year.
He reaffirmed that it is the Government’s responsibility to ensure accountability, not just at the national level but across the entire Public Service delivery chain.
Responding directly to the Chuave MP’s comments that Simbu Province had been unfairly treated, Prime Minister Marape rejected the notion and assured the people of Simbu that their Districts have not been “systematically victimized” under his leadership.
“To the good people of Simbu — you have not been left behind, all your Districts have received funding allocations as per the National Budget framework.”
“The Finance Department will publish full reports showing how much each Province and District including those in Simbu has received since 2019.”
He also highlighted that his government established the National Monitoring and Coordination Authority (NMCA) to strengthen the follow-up and auditing of funds disbursed nationwide, ensuring that public money is being used for tangible development outcomes.
“The NMCA will not act as another bureaucracy but will engage independent auditors like Deloitte to follow the money trail,” he explained. “We want to ensure that every Kina released is producing results in education, health, infrastructure, and other vital sectors.”
Prime Minister Marape further pointed out that under his Government, Chuave and other Simbu Districts have continued to receive steady funding for key infrastructure, including the Karamui Road, which has seen over K50 million in cumulative funding since 2019.
“I urge all Members to focus on delivery,” he said.
“K7 million or K10 million may not do everything, but let’s ensure those funds make visible impact. The records will show that our government has allocated fairly and consistently not just to Simbu, but to every District in our country.”
Prime Minister Marape reaffirmed his government’s ongoing commitment to equitable development, transparency, and results-driven governance.
“Our records are open, the Final Budget Outcomes from 2019 to 2024 speak for themselves.”
“We have delivered funding fairly and transparently to all Provinces and Districts. Let’s now work together to make sure those funds turn into real results for our people.”
