The Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) has endorsed the transfer of key revenue-raising powers from the Papua New Guinea National Government to the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), with revenues generated from fisheries, mining, forestry, land and other relevant taxes to be handed over by 31 December 2026.
The resolution was adopted during the JSB meeting at Melanesian Haus in Port Moresby this week, co-chaired by Prime Minister James Marape and ABG President Ishmael Toroama.
The JSB also endorsed the ABG's proposals on taxation, revenue streams, statutory fees and related fiscal powers, as well as measures to strengthen fisheries governance and marine resource benefit-sharing.
To implement the agreement, the Chief Secretaries of both governments were directed to oversee and coordinate all technical engagements covering taxation, customs and excise, fisheries, statutory fees and other fiscal and economic matters affecting Bougainville. They have also been tasked with submitting a joint progress report at a future JSB meeting.
In his address to the meeting, Toroama described the transfer of fiscal powers as part of Bougainville's transition beyond autonomy and towards greater self-government, saying the region's political position had been shaped through extensive consultations and endorsed by its leadership.
He said Bougainville had honoured every resolution reached under the peace process, including the Bougainville Peace Agreement, the Wabag Roadmap, the Era Kone Covenant and previous JSB resolutions, and called on both governments to continue implementing the Joint Consultation Report and the Melanesian Framework in good faith.
Toroama also reaffirmed Bougainville's position that the 2019 independence referendum, in which 97.7% of voters backed independence, should remain the basis for the region's political future.
"We do not need a 'clear pathway to revisit the question' — the question has been asked, answered, and sealed in ink and blood," he said, rejecting suggestions that the referendum result could be revisited through future political processes.
He urged both governments to uphold the integrity of the Bougainville peace process, warning that any departure from jointly agreed commitments would attract international scrutiny.
"Our work today continues under the watchful, supportive eyes of our global partners," Toroama said, acknowledging the United Nations' continuing role in supporting the implementation of the post-referendum process.
The latest JSB resolution marks a significant step in expanding Bougainville's fiscal autonomy, with the transfer of revenue powers expected to strengthen the ABG's capacity to manage its own economic affairs ahead of the agreed end-2026 deadline.
