By JOEL K. ANDREW
ORO Governor and chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reforms and Service Delivery, Gary Juffa, has called for sweeping structural reforms across the public service, urging a full forensic audit and a “hard reset” in how the country delivers development.
Speaking at the launch of the National Monitoring and Coordination Authority (NMCA) yesterday, Mr Juffa highlighted the urgent need for better oversight of government spending.
The NMCA, established to monitor, evaluate, and coordinate the implementation of government projects nationwide, will work closely with the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.
The Authority is responsible for setting development priorities, aligning them with the national budget, and ensuring funds are allocated to projects that meet the country’s Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP IV) and Vision 2050 goals.
Mr Juffa stressed that while the national government allocated billions of kina to contractors for infrastructure, health, education, and other public projects, “a troubling pattern has emerged, where large portion of the funds never reach the ground, with less actually spent on project delivery, while the rest is often misused or siphoned off through corrupt arrangements between politicians and contractors, leaving communities with half-finished or substandard projects”.
Mr Juffa said PNG’s service delivery challenges were further compounded by poor coordination between agencies, lack of transparent reporting, and weak accountability measures.
He added that all these must change if the country is to improve citizens’ access to government services, infrastructure, and opportunities.
Mr Juffa called for all similar state agencies, including those in infrastructure, rural development, and sector-specific monitoring to work in close collaboration. Such partnerships should form a united front to ensure check and balance, rigorous oversight, and real-time reporting.
“As we approach the 50th Independence Jubilee, we must ensure that every kina allocated serves its intended purpose in transforming lives, improve accessibility to essential services, and guarantee equal distribution of development to every corner of Papua New Guinea,” Mr Juffa said.
He stressed that accountability was not just a bureaucratic process but a moral obligation by responsible heads appointed by NEC into these offices.
“Development is not about paperwork and speeches. It’s about tangible results like roads, schools, hospitals, power, and clean water, delivered on time according to the budget, and to the quality standards for our people who need them most.”
Mr Juffa commended the Marape-Rosso Government for implementing this significant framework for the future of PNG.