The National | Editorial | 2nd October 2025
AS PNG begins its next set of 50 years, adjustments, reviews and structural changes must be made to those laws, policies, systems, processes and institutions that have been found wanting in the first half century of independence.
One of them must be the District Development Authority.
In the first instance it is a legal anomaly, an aberration of sorts.
The National
MORE than K830 million in Government funds allocated to provinces and districts remain unaudited, according to the department of Implementation and Rural Development monthly report.
It blames this on the lack of proper oversight and accountability on the Provincial Service Improvement Programme (PSIP) and the District Service Improvement Programme (DSIP) funding.
Since 2018, 163 reports are yet to be provided for assessment. They include 74 DSIP and 19 PSIP reports yet to be submitted.
By Jesher Tilto | The National | September 19 2025
TO date, Papua New Guinea has 22 provinces and 96 districts.
There are upwards of 370 local level governments (LLG) and at least 6,900 wards, pending confirmation from the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs (DPLLGA) or Electoral Commission.
And after years of waiting, people will soon go to the polls to elect their leaders in this year’s LLG elections.
Source: The National
THE Ombudsman Commission (OC) has directed all MPs to submit their outstanding service improvement programme acquittals in compliance with the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership.
The National | Editorial
THERE was a conversation in the office of Dennis Young, then Speaker of the National Parliament in around 1991, that a fly on the wall has passed on to us.
In attendance were Young and Ialibu Pangia MP Roy Yaki and Wewak MP Bernard Narokobi.
The latter two had a proposal they wanted the Speaker’s blessing on.
The proposal was that Parliament ought to pass legislation to ensure that Memberss electoral development funds, going at the time at K250,000 per member, was entrenched in law.
The National | Editorial
In three weeks, the country will celebrate its 50th Independence Anniversary.
However, the hype for such a momentous occasion is not truly felt right throughout the country and not right now.
Try ask the people of remote Biawaria in Morobe’s Wau-Waria who only recently saw the completion of their long-awaited airstrip after waiting 41 years.
Post Courier Editorial
We all have to admit our failures and there are many but one that stands out is the manner we have exercised our freedoms at national elections in the last two decades.
In every one of these elections, we did not go to the polls to vote to change our electorates, our provinces and country but rather our own status. We voted candidates whom we believed would change our situation in our lives, to fix our own individual problems so look where we are now.
ACT NOW! PNG has released its second annual District Development Authority Watch Report, covering the period July 2024 to June 2025.
The findings reveal entrenched failures in transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement across Papua New Guinea’s 96 District Development Authorities (DDAs). This is despite rising government investment of public funds through service improvement and infrastructure grants totaling almost K2 billion a year.
Source: The National | Editorial | June 25, 2025
AFTER years of waiting, Papua New Guinea is finally holding its Local Level Government (LLG) elections.
More than 30,000 candidates have filed their nominations to contest for seats in the country’s 374 LLGs and 6,916 wards.
Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai has stated that K180 million allocated for the LLG elections which also covers the four by-elections for Aitape-Lumi, Kabwum, Porgera-Paiela and Usino-Bundi, including the Motu-Koitabu elections.
Source: The National | Frank Senge Kolmal | June 26, 2025
GRAND Chief Dr John Momis, a founding father of Papua New Guinea, says the political leaders of the country have let down the people and the Constitution.
Asked to reflect on PNG ‘s journey from Independence, Momis said: “To be honest with you, I am not very happy.
“I think we have really let our people down.
“When we were making the Constitution, we didn’t think about developing resources, not
even developing the country as such.
Source: The National | Jesher Tilto | June 30,2025
Members of Parliament yet to acquit their 2024 Service Improvement Program funds to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) have been reminded to do so.
Acting department secretary Aihi Vaki told the 20-plus MPs yet to submit their acquittals that, despite the directive of the Ombudsman Commission (OC) for them to meet the March 31st deadline, his department would still accept them.
Wantok Nuispaper, Page 10 | Jun 5- 11, 2025
Long 10-pela yia, planti bilien kina we i sapos long go long rurel divelopmen projek long 89 distrik na 22 provins bilong Papua Niugini i go nating na no gat wanpela sekap i kamap long en.
Ol skul, rot, helt fasiliti na ol arapela infrastraksa we Distrik na Provinsal Sevis Impruvmen Program (DSIP/PSIP) i karamapim, i no kisim wanpela inspeksen o sekap long ol dipatmen we i save lukautim.
Post- Courier | Yu Tok | Thursday 5th June 2025
Funding for SME in the districts is important when it is aimed at promoting economic growth and creating jobs.
In many cases however this has been politicalized and funds are usually dished out by MPs to their political cronies and supporters at will. There is no policy guidelines as to how these funds are to be expended and to whom.
John Varey | Post Courier
Nearly 80 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s Members of Parliament have failed to account for billions of Kina allocated through the District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) and Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP). This is not a mere oversight — it is a profound betrayal of trust, a disregard for the nation’s future, and a crippling wound on the promise of progress.
Reginald Renagi | Post Courier Yu Tok | 27th May 2025