By GEORGINA MICHAEL
OPPOSITION Leader Hon. James Nomane has pressed Prime Minister James Marape to urgently table a supplementary budget to address the El Niño crisis, saying the Government’s current response is “simply not good enough.”
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, 25 August, Mr. Nomane said the Government had acknowledged global economic shifts affecting fuel subsidies and the 2026 National Development Budget.
He welcomed the Treasurer’s efforts to secure K300 million from the World Bank for El Niño relief and distribution, but said more immediate action was needed, particularly given concerns raised by Governors in the Highlands region.
“Mr Acting Speaker, my question to the good Prime Minister is simply, when will he table a supplementary
budget to deal with El Niño because it is a national crisis?” Mr. Nomane asked.
He referred to concerns raised by the Governors of Southern Highlands and Western Highlands, saying the prolonged drought was developing into a national emergency and suggesting that a state of emergency be considered.
Mr. Nomane said the response from Minister for Health and Disaster Management Dr. Billy Joseph did not reflect the “lived reality” of communities affected by the crisis.
“This is a crisis. We expect Executive Government to be on their toes, to be responsive, to understand what’s going on, to elucidate the plan of action that the Government has to deal with this national crisis, to give confidence to the people,” he said.
In response, Prime Minister Marape confirmed that work on the supplementary budget was underway.
“We will be going through the supplementary budget notes and if everything is dispensed or approval given, next Tuesday at this time, it should be handed down as supplementary budget,” Mr. Marape told Parliament.
Minister responsible for Disaster Centre Dr. Billy Joseph also confirmed that the Government was treating the El Niño crisis as a national security issue.
“We have set up the El Niño taskforce and we have made this a national security issue. It is not only the Office of the National Disaster Centre that is dealing with it. It is a whole-of-government approach,” he said.
Dr. Joseph said the Government was reallocating funds to respond to the crisis as work continued on the supplementary budget.
“With the supplementary budget coming up next week, the Government is reallocating funds to deal with the issue. Hence, we are working on it and it is a whole-of-government approach,” he said.