PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA – June 24, 2025 – The Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery (SPCPSRSD) is intensifying its efforts to ensure robust governance and accountability across government authorities, with a particular focus on Papua New Guinea’s vital forestry, minerals, and fisheries sectors.
The Committee expressed its satisfaction with the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority’s (PNGFA) decision to re-engage the services of SGS Limited. The Chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery, Honourable Gary Juffa, MP, stated, “The Committee is pleased that the PNGFA has re-engaged the service of SGS Limited. This is a positive step by the national government to seriously address good governance within the forestry sector, a critical element necessary for PNG to avoid being placed on the ‘grey list’.”
Despite this positive development, the Committee affirmed its intent to continue its inquiry into the PNG Forest Authority. A notice has been sent to the PNG Forest Authority requesting further information regarding their operations. The Committee highlighted that serious recommendations from the Toss Barnett inquiry and the SABL inquiry have, in its view, not been adequately implemented. The ongoing inquiry will also assess how the government plans to implement its commitment to ban round log exports.
In line with promoting national development, the Committee strongly encourages Papua New Guinean companies to engage in downstream processing. It also urges the national government to collaborate with District Development Authorities, provincial governments, and Papua New Guinean development companies and organizations to achieve this objective.
The broader objective of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery’s reviews into various government-created authorities is to determine whether these authorities are meeting their responsibilities to their stakeholders, primarily the people of PNG. The Committee aims to ascertain if these authorities are effectively carrying out their duties, including monitoring, reviewing, charging fines and penalties where necessary, and regulating appropriately. The Committee has found that in many instances, authorities are not performing these duties efficiently or effectively enough.
As part of these comprehensive reviews, the Committee will also be conducting inquiries into:
• The PNG Forest Authority
• The Minerals Resource Authority
• The National Fisheries Authority
The overarching goal of these inquiries is to ensure that these organizations are adequately and sufficiently protecting the interests of Papua New Guineans.
The Committee remains committed to pursuing its agenda of public inquiry to ensure transparency and effectiveness in the public sector and to ensure these authorities are protecting the interests of Papua New Guinea.
About the Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery: The Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery is tasked with reviewing various government authorities to ensure they are meeting their responsibilities and operating efficiently and effectively in the public interest.