PRIME Minister James Marape has firmly rejected allegations from the Opposition that his government is deliberately withholding funds from districts and provinces represented by Opposition Members of Parliament. In a statement, he emphasized that the Government is committed to transparency and accountability in the distribution of service development funds through the District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) and Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP).
Marape stated that once the Finance Department provides a detailed printout of the funding allocations, he intends to publish this information for public scrutiny, allowing citizens to see how funds are distributed across all regions, regardless of political affiliation.
The Prime Minister criticized Opposition MPs for using the media to spread what he described as misinformation for political gain. He accused them of diverting attention from their own failures in service delivery by framing their public complaints as grievances against the Government. “This Government does not weaponise the budget to discriminate against Members of Parliament,” he asserted. “Since 2019, our budget use is clear evidence of how we distribute funding. All districts and provinces, whether they are in the Opposition or Government, receive their DSIP and PSIP.”
Marape reiterated that the Government allocates funds fairly to all provinces and districts, stating, “When cash flow is available, we remit the funds that we collect.” He expressed frustration that Opposition members often sensationalize delays in fund distribution to garner public sympathy while neglecting to acknowledge the Government’s role in providing these resources.
He highlighted that since 2019, a significant amount of funding has been transferred from Waigani to various provinces and districts, yet local MPs and provincial governors are often not held accountable for the lack of services in their areas. “We have transferred an unprecedented amount of money out from Waigani since 2019, yet I get all the blame for non-delivery of services on the ground,” Marape said.
To further clarify the funding situation, the Prime Minister announced plans to release a detailed report next week, showing a line-by-line breakdown of every fund transferred to both Opposition and Government MPs. He emphasized that for every district’s funding received, there should be a corresponding level of development on the ground, which is also the expectation of the citizens.
As an example of equitable funding, Marape pointed to the K10 million transferred to the Milne Bay Provincial Government for outstanding oil palm shares, regardless of the political alignment of the provincial member. He also mentioned the completion of the Tindua to Kware LLG bridge in Ialibu-Pangia District as a project that benefited from Government support.
“Pangu, as the party that birthed this country, works with everyone because these are all Papua New Guineans who are our people. We do not discriminate,” he stated. Marape urged the public to hold their MPs accountable for the lack of services in their districts, asserting that politicians using social media for political games do so at the expense of their constituents’ needs.
