Cathy Tukne

This week, the government  said to present the 2026 National Budget. Once again, the people of Papua New Guinea are bracing for promises of change.

The budget will include K20 million for each district through Service Improvement Programs known as DSIP and DIP. This money is meant for improving basic services like health, education, and roads in the community. 

But year after year, these sectors struggle. The money often does not lead to the improvements people are promised.
The “DDA Watch 2025” report shows a big part of the problem: a severe lack of transparency and accountability. 

The report found that in 2024:

• 71 out of 96 districts submitted their financial acquittal reports.
• But only 1 of those reports was shared with the public.
• 24 districts failed to submit acquittals at all, meaning nearly a quarter of the country’s DDAs are non-compliant.

This lack of transparency undermines the very purpose of the DSIP and DIP funds. Without public access to acquittals, people cannot see how billions of kinas were actually spent. Communities cannot verify whether clinics were built, schools improved, or roads maintained.

This is not a new problem:

• For 2023, only 63 districts sent their acquittal reports. None were public.
• For 2022, 69 districts sent acquittal reports. None were public.

The national budget is a promise to the people. But allocations without accountability are empty promises.

If the government is serious about making a real change, it must make one simple rule: all district financial reports must be made public within six months. This is the first step to turn budget figures into real change.