Southern Highlands Governor William Powi officially handed over the province’s 2026 budget to the National Treasury today.
The Southern Highlands Provincial Government presented its K383 million budget for the 2026 fiscal year to the National Treasury office in Waigani today.
Governor Powi was accompanied by the Provincial Administrator, David Kelma, Acting Provincial Finance Manager Max Kepa, and a small contingent of provincial government officials. They were received by the Minister for Treasury, Ian Ling-Stuckey.
Governor Powi confirmed that the budget was passed with full attendance at the first 2026 meeting of the Provincial Executive Council, which included all local Members of Parliament from the province’s four districts, with the exception of the MP for Kagua-Erave, as well as all LLG presidents.
“This budget has been debated and approved by the 22 LLG presidents, the MPs, and the Deputy Governor-elect,” Hon Powi stated.
He explained that the budget is focused on key priority sectors, including Law and Order, Health, Education, and Infrastructure Development.
The Governor detailed specific allocations from the Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP) which is funded every year, including K3 million for students studying at Parul University, another K3 million for school fee assistance for tertiary students from the province, and K2 million allocated for the salaries and operations of 350 police reservists. This recruitment drive is based on a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Police Department to address a shortage of manpower in the province.
A further K1 million is set aside for the Peace and Good Order Committee, which Governor Powi described as vital for maintaining stability. He credited the committee for ensuring no gun battles have been reported in the province recently, aside from one incident in the Kagua area a few weeks ago. An additional K1 million has been allocated to fund a rugby league program across 16 high schools and 9 secondary schools, serving as preparation for the PNG NRL team’s entry in 2028.
Commenting on infrastructure, Governor Powi noted that, unlike many districts across the country, all electorates in Southern Highlands are now connected by sealed roads from the main highway. He acknowledged that work is ongoing on the Nipa-Poroma section. He also stated that electricity is now connected to all electorates, with work underway to activate the power supply.
“We may not be the best, but we have functioning education and health systems, and we are working to deliver basic services to our people,” he said. “This is the people’s money. This is not my private money to run a business. We are not grandstanding, but we are committed to ensuring development reaches one of the biggest provinces in the country.”
Governor Powi concluded by emphasizing the unity of the province’s political leaders, stating that regardless of political developments in Waigani, the unity of the Southern Highlands leadership will not be compromised.