Stop the Stealing

Increased DSIP for 2025 despite poor transparency and accountability by DDAs

Submitted by Eddie Tanago on Thu, 05/12/2024 - 08:13

The 2025 National Government budget has seen an increased of budget allocation for district support improvement program (DSIP).

This is despite the fact that DDAs are lacking transparency and accountability in their operations and expenditure.

ACT NOW! analysis has shown that there is lack of DDA contact details, DDAs lack proper development plans and bad records of acquitting funds.

Transparency Gap: DDA contact details and future challenges

Submitted by Cathy Tukne on Tue, 12/11/2024 - 13:49

A concerning analysis by community advocacy group ACT NOW has revealed that almost all District Development Authorities (DDAs) in Papua New Guinea are failing to make crucial contact information available, hindering governance, accountability, and service delivery.

Despite each District receiving K20 million annually for service and infrastructure improvements, as of July 2024, the analysis reveals most DDA’s do not have a named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and lack an email address, postal address and phone number or website.

Prime Minster must act to stop widespread illegal logging

Submitted by ACTNOW on Wed, 02/10/2024 - 09:18

Prime Minister James Marape has spoken of the importance of preserving Papua New Guinea’s tropical rainforest in a meeting with the United Nations General Secretary and in his address to the UN General Assembly last Friday 

Yet, community advocacy group ACT NOW says his government is doing nothing to stop widespread illegal logging and in particular the abuse of agricultural clearing licences.

Appalling lack of transparency as majority of Districts fail to submit financial acquittals

Submitted by ACTNOW on Tue, 24/09/2024 - 10:54

While the government has been dramatically increasing the amount of funding pumped directly into each District, there is an appalling lack of transparency about how those public funds are being used.

As of July 2024, analysis of media reporting by community advocacy group ACT NOW reveals just 24 out of 96 Districts have lodged their financial acquittals for 2022 or 2023 and none of those acquittals are publicly available. This is despite each District now being given K20 million a year in service and infrastructure improvement grants.

Nogat Distrik Plen – Nogat gutpela Gavman sevises

Submitted by ACTNOW on Tue, 30/07/2024 - 09:12

ACT NOW! i raitim na Wantok Niuspepa i pablisim lo Tok Pisin 25th Julai 2024

Long taim i no gat gutpela plen long Distrik level, bai i no gat kwaliti helt na edukesen sevis long Papua Niugini.

Risets bilong ACT NOW i soim olsem tupela yia bihain long las nesenel ileksen, wanpela kwata tasol o 25 % bilong ol Distrik i tokaut long faiv-yia divelopmen plen bilong 2023 – 2027.

Ol Distrik Divelopmen Plen 2023 -2027

Lonsim plen tasol i no kamap yet - 17 %

I gat Plen – 7%

No gat Faiv Yia Plen – 75%

DDA Watch

The DDA Watch website is an impartial and non-partisan information resource for the general public, officials and academics.

The website provides access to information on Papua New Guinea’s District Infrastructure Support Program (DISP) and the work of all ninety-three individual District Development Authorities (DDAs).

The website is completely politically neutral and is not associated with any political party, any elected official or any intending candidate.

Campaigns: 
Stop the Stealing

Lack of District Plans Undermining Quality of Local Health and Education Services

Submitted by ACTNOW on Thu, 04/07/2024 - 14:03

A lack of proper planning at the District level is a critical failure that is undermining the delivery of quality health and education services across Papua New Guinea.

Research by community advocacy organization ACT NOW has revealed that two-years on from the last national election, just one quarter or 25% of Districts have published a five-year development plan for 2023-27.

“Good planning is essential for the delivery of quality services,” says ACT NOW Information Coordinator Cathy Tukne.