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

John Varey| Post Courier | Yu Tok |  22nd May 2025

As Papua New Guinea marks 50 years of independence, it’s time to confront a painful reality: billions of kina allocated through the District and Provincial Services Improvement Programs (DSIP and PSIP) are shrouded in secrecy, mismanagement, and unaccounted spending. The lack of transparency and timely acquittals by Members of Parliament is a betrayal of public trust.

Post Courier | Jeffery Elapa | May 21, 2025

Several Government heavies and Opposition frontbenchers are yet to submit their ‘slush fund’ acquittals.

These include Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey (Kavieng), and outspoken East Sepik Governor Allan Bird who are among 46 MPs who have yet to submit their annual reports on DSIP and PSIP to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development.

The National | May 19, 2025

Auditor-General Gordon Kega is calling on all public offices, district development authorities and provincial administrations to improve governance practices.

“Transparency is not optional, it’s a requirement for effective delivery, and therefore we expect responsible agencies to improve in areas of internal controls in promoting accountability in financial management.

The National | Philip Ukuni  | May 15, 2025

THE District Development Authority Act 2014, or DDA Act for short is a stumbling block to the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government (LLG) Act (revised 1995).

The DDA Act seem to provide a legalised avenue for corruption to thrive.

It also contravenes with Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government Administration Act. 

This legislation is the elephant in the room and yet we are so naive and ignorant of its function and its impact to the detriment of service delivery.

The National | Zara Kanu | May 15, 2025

THE recent audits of projects funded under the service improvement programme (SIP) have revealed widespread weaknesses in financial management, an official says.  

Auditor-General Gordon Kega said this raised red flags on documentation and particularly compliance with government guidelines.

“There are several recurring issues that have created these weaknesses and this is poor record-keeping and the lack of supporting documentation which causes failure to submit timely financial reports and acquittals.

The National | May 13, 2025

CONCERNS have been raised about the timely disbursement and acquittal of service improvement programme (SIP) grants, specifically under the provincial and district programmes.

East Sepik Governor Allan Bird, in an interview with The National, said it is a problem that some provincial and district agencies are not able to meet the March 31 deadline to submit acquittals.

“We either don’t receive them on time or not at all,” he said.

The National | May 8, 2025

OPPOSITION Leader Douglas Tomuriesa has claimed that the Government is yet to release all the 2025 funding it had allocated to MPs, departments and agencies in the national budget.

He told reporters yesterday that some government agencies were yet to receive funds due in the first quarter of the year.

He said only K1 million of the K10 million allocated for the District Service Improvement Programme (DSIP) had been received.

The National | Phillip Ukuni | May 1st, 2025

One of the dailies published an article few weeks ago under the subheading 50 plus MPs yet to acquit.

This message was coming from the combine efforts of two very important government agencies legally tasked with constitutional duties and functions.

These two agencies are the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) and the Ombudsman Commission.

These agencies efforts to ensure all public funds are acquitted annually has to be stringently enforced.