The South Bougainville District Development Authority (DDA) Board will increase funding for the South Bougainville School Fee Assistance Program from K1.2 million to K1.5 million.
The decision was reached on Monday 24th of February when the South Bougainville DDA Board Members sat for its first formal meeting for the year 2025.
The SBDDA Board’s commitment towards the South Bougainville School Fee Assistance Program is to ensure that students in South Bougainville receive the education they deserve.
With over 500 students currently pursuing higher education in tertiary institutions in the country, the SBDDA recognizes the growing need for additional support.
The increase in funding will enable the program to assist all eligible students, significantly alleviating the financial burden on families and facilitating access to higher education for all.
The chairman of the DDA Board and member for South Bougainville, Timothy Masiu stated, “Investing in education is vital for the development of our community.”
“By increasing the funding for the School Fee Assistance Program, we are making a substantial investment in the future leaders of South Bougainville.
“We must ensure that financial constraints do not hinder students from achieving their dreams, ” he said
Governor for Central Province, Rufina Peter is calling for the immediate suspension of the Connect PNG Program, citing escalating national security threats to the Papuan region.
In a statement, the Governor raises concerns regarding the unregulated expansion of road networks linking the Papuan Region to the Highlands and other provinces, which she argues will exacerbate lawlessness, illegal migration, and land grabs.
She fears it will be the greatest internal security threat facing Gulf, Central, Port Moresby, and the National Capital District (NCD).
Governor Peter emphasizes the need for comprehensive security measures to protect local communities and provincial law enforcement from the adverse effects of the program.
In her statement, Governor Peter outlined a series of immediate security measures that she believes are essential to safeguard the region.
The governor calls for the immediate setup of manned security posts between Gulf and Southern Highlands Provinces to effectively monitor and control the movement of individuals across borders.
She is also calling for the Halt of Expansion of Connect PNG. Governor Peter insists that the Connect PNG Program must be frozen until a comprehensive security risk assessment is conducted.
Another solution is a stronger Immigration and Law Enforcement Controls. The governor stated compulsory registration and vetting of all non-Papuan migrants entering Central and Gulf provinces, alongside strict enforcement of removal for illegal settlements to prevent uncontrolled land grabs.
She proposes the creation of a Papuan Security Task Force (PST) comprising security units from Central, Gulf, and NCD to monitor and address emerging threats.
Additionally, she has called for joint police-military operations to dismantle criminal networks infiltrating the region. In her statement, Governor Peter has called on all Papuan MPs and Governors to unite in demanding the suspension of the Connect PNG Prigram until these pressing security issues are adequately addressed.
“This is not just an infrastructure issue; it is a serious national security threat that must be prioritized now!” says Governor Peter.
The lack of district development plans and financial reports, a lack of public engagement, and a complete absence of oversight, raises serious concerns about the management of District Service Improvement Program (DSIP) and District Infrastructure Program (DIP) funds.
Community advocacy group Act Now says this is a huge factor contributing to PNG’s high corruption rating in the Corruption Perception Index figures.
New Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) figures, released on 11 February 2025 by Transparency International, highlight Papua New Guinea’s failure to deal with widespread corruption.
PNG is classified as having a ‘high perceived risk of corruption’ with ‘no meaningful progress’ in anti-corruption efforts.
PNG is the worst ranked country in the Pacific region and ranks 127th out of 180 countries globally.
PNG’s failure in addressing corruption challenges underscores the findings in a new report release by ACT NOW! on the performance of District Development Authorities (DDAs).
The report, which is based on an analysis of the data published on the DDA Watch website, reveals widespread failures in transparency, governance, and financial accountability among all 93 DDAs.
According to Cathy Tukne, Communications Coordinator for ACT NOW!, the findings are alarming and highlight a severe breakdown in governance at the district level.
She emphasized the urgent need for systemic reforms, stating: “The lack of accountability and public engagement by DDAs is deeply concerning.
“With millions in public funds allocated annually, citizens deserve access to key documents and direct communication with their district leaders.
“If accountability measures are not enforced, the risk of mismanagement and corruption will only grow, further damaging PNG’s CPI score,” Tukne said.
Key Findings from the report include severe lack of public access to key district documents. The report found that only 7 out of 93 DDAs have made their 2023-2027 Five-Year Development Plans public.
“There are no existing public records for Annual Budgets, Acquittal Reports, Inspection Reports, or Audit Reports. There is also a huge failure to Submit Financial Acquittals & Audits.”
Following the report, ACT NOW! calls for the following immediate actions:
• Full Public Disclosure of District Documents – All DDAs must publish their 5-year development plans, annual budgets, financial acquittals, and inspection reports.
• Increased Audit Oversight – The Auditor General’s Office (AGO) must be adequately funded to conduct independent audits of all DDAs.
• Improved Public Engagement – Citizens should demand transparency from DDAs and actively engage with the DDA Watch platform.
• Strict Funding Conditions – The Department of Finance should withhold DSIP/DIP funds from districts failing to publish key financial documents.
• Leadership Accountability – The Ombudsman Commission must investigate and act against CEOs and DDA Board Chairs who fail to meet governance and reporting standards.
• Empowering Citizens – Communities must hold their district leaders accountable by actively engaging with DDA Watch and reporting governance failures.
• Strengthening Oversight Agencies – Institutions such as the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) need enhanced monitoring capabilities to track DDA performance.
Nabuapaka village in the Kairuku District is among villages along the Central coast currently affected by the King Tides experienced these past few days.
On-going strong winds and high seas have forced about 60 people out of their homes.
They are now struggling to find shelter and basic necessities.
The community has stepped in to help but many residents are frustrated with the slow response from the Government.
“We didn’t have time to prepare,” said Allan Aiahu, a community representative.
“The water is rising so fast. We are losing everything.”
A woman in Nabuapaka village looks on as sea water floods her house
As families stay with relatives or in temporary shelters, the Central Provincial Disaster Office has been assessing the damage caused by the rising tides.
Officials have completed their evaluations and are now putting together a report to send to the national government.
This report will explain the needs of the displaced families and the seriousness of the situation.
According to John Iamo, a representative from the Central Provincial Disaster Office, “We are working hard to gather all the necessary information to make sure our report shows what is happening on the ground.”
Local leaders are calling for quick action to meet the urgent needs of those affected.
“We appreciate the community’s efforts to help each other, but we need more support to deal with this crisis,” said Allan Aiahu.
“Families are without food, clean water, and shelter.
“We need support to move our houses and platforms. The village youths want to help, but they need funding for food and motivation. We also need tarpaulin for shelter, proper water tanks to catch rainwater, and food to get us through this time.”
Papua New Guinea experiences King Tides most often from November to March.
King Tides are exceptionally high tides that occur when the moon is closest to the earth (Perigee).
Weather conditions such as cyclones often intensify the effects of the high tides.
The ongoing threat of Climate Change that is affecting the weather patterns causes more destruction to people living along the coastlines like Nabuapaka.
Australia continues to play the big brother role in the Pacific with more grands to support communities in Papua New Guinea.
This time, it’s the neighbouring South Fly District that shares the border with Australia’s Torres Strait.
Twenty-nine (29) ward development committee representatives from eight wards in South Fly District, Western Province, signed grant agreements for certain community projects.
The representatives gathered in Daru from 24 to 28 February for training and induction as part of their final preparations related to their respective PNG-Australia Partnership funded community and economic development grants.
Provincial Administrator Robert Alphonse Kaiyun, Australian High Commission representative Ms Christine Charity and other dignitaries attended the event.
Australian High Commission representative Ms. Christine Charity and Western Provincial Administrator Robert Alphone Kaiyun during the grant agreement signing
Mr Kaiyun congratulated the grantees and thanked Australia, “I would like to acknowledge our close long-term partnership with Australia to deliver on Western Province’s vision to strengthen economic development and build resilient communities.
I expect the groups receiving these grants to take ownership and work to make their projects succeed.”
Ms Charity was pleased to be in Daru to meet some of the grant recipients in person, and applauded the achievements of the eight community groups from Morehead and Oriomo-Bituri LLGs.
“I am privileged to join the ward and community representatives here in Daru to celebrate today’s signing of the first eight grant agreements, which will support egg production, sawmills, and farm equipment projects.”
“These grant projects will support local communities and people to have money in the pocket and food on the table.
This is the Western Provincial Government’s top priority, and Australia is proud to be working hand-in- hand and side-by-side with the people of Western Province to reach some of the most remote and hard-to-reach communities.”
In 2024, technical working groups co-chaired by the Australian High Commission and Provincial and District Administrations selected 20 community development and 10 economic grant projects through a competitive application process.
Successful applicants from the Oriomu-Bituri, Morehead, Forecoast Kiwai and Fly Kiwai LLGs demonstrated that their projects would benefit the community, including women and people with disabilities, and contribute 10 per cent of project material costs.
Local-level governments were closely involved with the applications and committed to assisting grantee communities with part of their contributions.
Mr Sampson Tago, Chairman of Sibidiri Community’s Poultry Management Committee said, “The project will greatly assist in ensuring food and financial security because it is an investment to boost our community’s economic activity.”
Signing on behalf of the Waidoro community, Ward Development Committee Chairman Mr Bazi Kazipam also expressed his happiness, “The Lucas mill project will help us improve our living conditions and develop our forestry sector through creating economic growth and supporting other local and inclusive initiatives.”
The first 8 grants signed were for egg production, sawmills, and farm equipment projects.
The remaining 22 grants for egg production, women’s resource centers, community halls, and bridges will follow in the coming months.
During the grant period, the grantees will continue to receive technical support and skills development to successfully manage and implement their grants.
The High Commission did not reveal the total amount of grand awarded, but each grant depended on the project costs that were submitted.
Successful applicants from the Oriomu-Bituri, Morehead, Forecoast Kiwai and Fly Kiwai LLGs with representatives from the Western Provincial Government and Australian High Commission
As Port Moresby city booms with infrastructure developments and a growing population due to rural to urban migration, the city has a huge task of creating harmonious communities amidst different ethnic groups from all over Papua New Guinea.
A lot has changed over the years with two lane roads to four and more business investments from both foreign owned companies and locals.
Funding to ensure all these developments, services and investment thrive, the city depends heavily on the Goods and Services Tax.
With a Population of over 500 000 (2021 census), the need for a bigger budget was necessary to address not only infrastructure issues but security.
The culmination of the K800 million budget announced earlier this month proves the demand placed on the National Capital District Commission.
NCD Governor Powes Parkop overseeing all of this says the National Capital District Commission still needs a budget of K1 billion to manage and lift Port Moresby city.
Parkop said NCDC budget is about K800 million plus – which was not enough to manage a city with 30 per cent of the country’s populations.
“We need a budget of over K1.0 Billion to run and manage the size of Port Moresby, we are the biggest concentration of population in any parts of the country where influx of people migrating from other centers, we deserve a budget going into almost K1 billion,” he said.
Governor Parkop added that the budget was guided by goals and is aligned with few national policies such as the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) IV, Papua New Guinea Development Strategic Plan 2010-20230 and Vision 2050.
Summarizing the budget, Governor Parkop highlighted the budget’s goals main allocations are as follows;
• K304 million is allocated for infrastructure Rehabilitation and building of roads, markets and classrooms
• K67 Million allocated for health – K17 Million is allocated by NCDC while K50 Million is allocated by the Government
• From the K17 Million allocation -Upgrade Gerehu Hospital to level 4 -Upgrade of 9 Mile Clinic -Build a District Hospital at Moresby South -Build a new Tuberculosis Facility
• K50 million allocated by the Government to upgrade Tete Hospital to level 5
• K57 Million is allocated for clean-up, landscaping and beautification
• K5.0 million for Safety and Security costs include closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras • K17.0 million City Warden Program
• K3.0 million for Police Security Operations (Support Vehicle)
• K1.0 million Reserve/Community Policing
• K25 Million is allocated to Motu Koita Assembly
• K18 Million is allocated for NCDC Waste Collection
• K7.0 million for Settlement to Suburb upgrading program in the city
• K6.0 million allocation for the preparation of the country’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations.
Governor Parkop said NCDC is building more roads within the city that links up with main roads to avoid traffic congestion during peak hours.
He said that NCDC does not have powers over land matters, so it only builds new roads to free up land while increasing its monetary value.
Secretary Leo, who received the NCDC 2025 Budget on behalf of the Minister for Provincial and Local-level Government Affairs thanked the Governor for presenting their budget which frames at improving social services and infrastructure developments and assured that officers would run through the budget document.
