PRIME Minister James Marape has announced that K150 million has been budgeted for the Electoral Commission to prepare for Papua New Guinea’s 2027 General Election.
Marape made the announcement upon his arrival in Papua New Guinea following his attendance at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Prime Minister said the K150 million has been allocated and will soon be released to the Electoral Commission, stressing that the funds must be used properly and focused on essential election preparations.
He urged the Electoral Commissioner to prioritise the procurement of ballot papers and ballot boxes and to ensure a clear security plan is in place well ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We want to go to the 2027 elections prepared well so you people can cast a ballot and vote on a leader of your choice that you feel can best represent you,” Marape said.
The Prime Minister also revealed that about K50 million has been set aside for police and defence pre-election planning and preparations.
Marape said the government wants the country’s security agencies and Electoral Commission to be adequately prepared before the 2027 national elections.
However, he raised concerns over the use of a previous K50 million allocation provided for election preparations.
He criticised what he described as excessive spending on hired vehicles, allowances and other administrative expenses, saying election funds should instead be directed toward practical preparations.
“I’m not happy when close to 60 to 70 percent of the fund is spent on hire cars and allowances and all this sort of thing,” Marape said.
He urged the Electoral Commission to ensure the new K150 million allocation is not wasted.
“You’d rather invest in ballot paper, common roll update and police preparation. These are better spent than hire cars and allowances for office workers themselves,” he said.
The K150 million has not yet been released, but the Prime Minister said the funding will soon be transferred to the Electoral Commission.
The announcement signals the government’s intention to begin funding key preparations for the 2027 General Election well ahead of polling, alongside security preparations involving the police and defence forces.