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.
These billions represent the hopes and aspirations of our people — the chance for new schools, well-equipped hospitals, vital infrastructure, and economic growth.
These funds could have lifted our people out of poverty, created jobs, and fostered entrepreneurship.
Instead, the silence surrounding the misuse and mismanagement of these funds paints a troubling picture: these programs, designed to uplift the nation, have become tools for self-enrichment, benefiting a few while the majority suffer.
Our villages remain without basic services, our youth face crushing unemployment, and the law and order situation deteriorates. The failure to account for these funds is not a bureaucratic issue — it is a barrier to progress, trapping our people in a cycle of poverty and despair.
The consequences are stark. Lack of investment in essential services has driven unemployment, pushing frustrated youth toward crime and worsening the law-and-order crisis.
The absence of proper healthcare facilities leaves our people vulnerable to preventable diseases, while unfinished roads and bridges isolate communities, limiting access to trade and essential services.
The missing millions are not just numbers; they are real obstacles to development.
This cannot continue.
The time for gentle inquiries is over. The scale of this unaccountability demands urgent action. The Office of Rural Development (ORD) must work with the Ombudsman Commission and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to launch thorough investigations. Every elected member who has failed to acquit these funds must be held accountable under the law, referred to the Leadership Tribunal, and dismissed from office. Failure to act decisively will only reinforce the public’s belief that those in power are either complicit or too fearful to act.
There can be no room for impunity. The people of Papua New Guinea deserve to know where their money has gone, and those responsible for its mismanagement must face the consequences.
This is not about political point-scoring; it is about securing the future of our nation.
It is about ensuring that the resources meant to empower our people are not squandered or stolen. We must restore faith in our institutions and prove that leaders are accountable to the citizens they serve. If we fail to act now, we risk emboldening those who exploit the system.
The future of Papua New Guinea depends on our resolve to demand transparency, accountability, and justice.
Enough is enough. Demand Accountability. Reclaim Our Future.