​PNG Government Agencies Blamed for Development Failures

Papua New Guinea’s central coordinating agencies have been identified as key culprits behind the government’s failure to deliver development outcomes, following a recent review.

Prime Minister James Marape revealed last week that K214 billion had been wasted over the past 12 years, sparking concern about mismanagement at the highest levels.

The review, led by Chief Secretary Ivan Pomaleu, exposed serious weaknesses within his own Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council (DPMNEC), describing it as “fragmented, uncoordinated and ineffective.”

Chief Secretary Ivan Pomaleu

Other central agencies also came under fire, including Treasury, Finance, National Planning and Monitoring, Implementation and Rural Development, the Central Agencies Coordination Committee, and the Provincial and Local Level Service Monitoring Authority.

The report highlighted that DPMNEC, which is meant to oversee policy implementation, has become passive and one of the least-performing government bodies, merely forwarding reports to Cabinet without proper coordination or verification.

Treasury was criticized for abandoning its macroeconomic oversight role and relying on external actors such as the IMF, while Finance was faulted for focusing mainly on cash disbursement rather than financial monitoring.

National Planning, along with Implementation and Rural Development, were also singled out for drifting from their monitoring functions to fund management, undermining their effectiveness.

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