Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has called on cabinet ministers, government departments and agencies, provincial governors and district members of parliament to publicly present detailed reports on achievements, spending and challenges within their respective sectors and jurisdictions over the past seven years.
The directive follows Marape's presentation to parliament on June 5 of the Marape-Rosso government's Seven-Year Performance Report, which reviewed the administration's performance since it assumed office in May 2019.
Marape said the report presented in parliament was intended to provide an overview of the national government's work, investments, achievements, challenges and ongoing programs, but was not a comprehensive account of all government activities.
"The Seven-Year Report is not conclusive; it is not inclusive. This is just an indication of what we have done," he said.
He said every sector minister possesses more detailed information on their respective portfolios and should now make those reports available to parliament, stakeholders and the public.
"The Sector Ministers have full Reports on each Sector in terms of what we have done in the last seven years," Marape said.
According to the prime minister, the report demonstrates that the government has made significant investments across priority areas despite criticism that little progress has been achieved during its time in office.
"We have made substantial investments in all the key Sectors — infrastructure, education, health, law and justice sector, economic sector interventions — and our numbers do not lie," he said.
Marape said the government deliberately chose to table the report publicly because transparency and accountability are essential components of democratic leadership.
He said the document provides members of parliament, development partners, public servants, civil society organizations, churches, businesses, citizens and the opposition with an opportunity to assess government performance and scrutinize its delivery record using factual information and official statistics.
"In my view, such a Report has not been presented in Parliament since 2007," Marape said. "I am a student of PNG Parliamentary proceedings, and I am yet to find a detailed self-assessment Report presented by a Government of the day that gives opportunity for stakeholders, including the Opposition, to criticise the Government on its own delivery and its own numbers."
Marape said public funds and government responsibilities must be accounted for, making it important for the administration to openly report on its performance.
He acknowledged that parliamentary time constraints prevented a full discussion of every sector during the presentation, reinforcing the need for ministers and departments to release more detailed reports.
"We ran out of time on Friday, but Ministers who are responsible for these Departments and Portfolios have Reports to present on what has been achieved by our Government collectively over the last seven years," he said.
The prime minister also stressed that the report should not be interpreted as a claim that all government objectives have been achieved.
"I am first to say that we have not achieved all we want to do for our country," he said. "Many works remain undone or half-complete or just started, but some works are going to be in progress to maturity."
Marape said Papua New Guinea remains a developing country with significant long-term infrastructure and social development needs, and that no government could realistically complete all necessary work within a single term or even seven years.
"If all work was complete before 2019 when I took office, then certainly there would be no task for me to do," he said. "Much work remains for Governments into the future, including the Government that will come into office from 2027 to 2032."
He encouraged Papua New Guineans to use the report as a reference document to assess completed projects, ongoing programs and areas requiring further attention.
"I want to ask our people: use the Report. Where you have interest, if you have any questions, ask the relevant Ministers or Departments, or ask my Department. We will answer those questions accordingly," Marape said.
The prime minister said the report should serve as the beginning of an informed national discussion on government performance, service delivery, public investment and future development priorities rather than bringing debate to a close.
Under his directive, ministers are expected to provide detailed accounts of departmental performance, including programs implemented, reforms undertaken, projects completed, funds utilized and operational challenges encountered.
Provincial governors and district MPs have also been asked to explain how national government allocations, Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP) funds, District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) funds and sector funding have been translated into tangible services and infrastructure projects for communities.
"The National Report indicates what work we have done, what we have started, and where Departments are as we progress towards more work for the balance of this term in preparation for 2027," Marape said.
He said the Marape-Rosso government remains focused on completing ongoing projects, improving service delivery, strengthening accountability mechanisms and preparing the country for the next phase of development.
Marape said the administration's goal is to leave behind not only infrastructure and development programs, but also a stronger culture of reporting, transparency and accountability throughout the public sector.
He reaffirmed the government's commitment to continuing work across a broad range of sectors, including roads and infrastructure, education, health, law and order, economic growth, agriculture, resource development, energy, international relations, youth development, churches, social development, governance, and provincial and district service delivery.
"We have not achieved all we want to do, but we are working," Marape said. "The work of nation-building is continuing, and this Government remains committed to doing its part for our people and for the future of Papua New Guinea."
