Media Releases

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.

Govt off track in meeting MTDP IV log export targets

Submitted by ACTNOW on Tue, 21/05/2024 - 00:00

The Marape Government is not on track to meet it’s log export reduction goals as outlined in the Medium Term Development Plan IV. 

In 2022, the Government announced a ban on all round log exports in the next 3 to 5 years, with the intention to increase local downstream processing to promote greater employment, increase GDP and boost government revenues. 

The log export data shows an export of 2.2million cubic meters in 2023. 

This is well over the full year target set in the MTDP IV of 1.695 million cubic meters. 

Malaysian Logger Fails in "SLAPP" Legal Attack on Papua New Guinea Civil Society

Submitted by ACTNOW on Thu, 25/04/2024 - 10:44

The Malaysian owned Giant Kingdom group of companies, which is logging Papua New Guinea’s besieged tropical forests, has failed in an unprecedented bid to silence public comment on the money laundering risks associated with its chequered activities.

At a time when international standard setting bodies are calling on civil society to help combat the money laundering risks associated with illegal logging, the Giant Kingdom group has engaged in lawfare to stop civic voices in PNG from documenting these risks.

Forest Clearing Authorities used as fronts for Illegal Logging

Submitted by Eddie Tanago on Wed, 06/09/2023 - 11:02

Forest Clearing Authorities are being unlawfully used to facilitate large-scale logging operations by foreign-owned logging companies according to a new report published today by ACT NOW!, in collaboration with Jubilee Australia Research Centre. 

The new report, which focuses on the Wammy logging operation in West Sepik Province, reveals how a Malaysian logging company has used a Forest Clearing Authority (FCA), intended to allow land clearing for agriculture or other land use projects, as a front to export hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of round logs. 

New DDA Watch website to promote transparency in public spending

Submitted by Cathy Tukne on Wed, 14/06/2023 - 15:48

Community advocacy organization ACT NOW! is today launching a new website, www.ddawatch.org to promote transparency and accountability in how government funds are used across all 94 Districts in Papua New Guinea.

The DDA Watch website will provide the general public, officials and academics with impartial and non-partisan information on the work of each District Development Authority, with the ultimate aim of helping to improve the quality of local infrastructure and service delivery.