Finance Secretary Mr Samuel Penias has clarified that the K2.5 million El Niño relief funding allocated to districts across Papua New Guinea is accessible through established government procurement and payment procedures.
His clarification follows concerns raised by Imbonggu District Development Authority (DDA) Chief Executive Officer Paul Kereme, who claimed that the district had not received its K2.5 million allocation.
Mr Penias explained that District Finance Managers are responsible for facilitating procurement and coordinating payments with the Department of Finance through the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) process.
“Once the required documentation and payment lists for approved El Niño-related expenses are submitted and verified, the Department of Finance will instruct the National Banking Corporation (NBC) to transfer funds directly to suppliers,” Mr Penias said.
He stressed that the absence of funds in district operating accounts does not mean the allocations are unavailable.
“The funding is available through the approved government financial arrangements. District administrations must work closely with their Finance Managers to ensure the necessary documentation is submitted for processing,” he said.
Mr Penias urged district administrations to follow the required procedures to avoid delays in delivering urgently needed relief supplies to communities affected by El Niño-related drought conditions.