PNG 2027 General Elections Cost May Exceed K1 Billion, Treasury Warns

Papua New Guinea’s 2027 General Election (GE27) could cost more than K1 billion, with the Treasury Department indicating that expenses may mirror the amount spent during the 2022 national poll. Treasury Secretary Andrew Oaeke said early financial planning was crucial to ensure the electoral process runs smoothly next year.

 PNG 2027 General Elections  Cost May Exceed K1 Billion, Treasury Warns

Speaking during a special parliamentary committee hearing on the 2022 General Election in Port Moresby yesterday, Mr Oaeke told members that the previous election required expenditure exceeding K1 billion and similar funding levels may be needed again.

“For the general election in 2022, we expended more than K1 billion,” Oaeke said.

He cautioned that delays in budget preparation could affect agencies directly involved in GE27, stressing the importance of timely submissions and coordinated planning across government institutions.

Mr Oaeke also revealed that the Electoral Commission did not submit key budget instruments on time last year, resulting in a minimal allocation for the current year despite the scale of preparations required.

According to the 2026 National Budget, the Electoral Commission has been allocated K50 million to begin preparations for the 2027 election, although Treasury acknowledged past delays were partly due to capacity challenges within the commission.

Acting Electoral Commissioner Margaret Vagi said the allocation was a starting point and additional funding could be sought if necessary, adding that around K500 million would be adequate to run the full election operation.

Committee chairman and East Sepik Governor Allan Bird urged Treasury not to let procedural delays affect funding, saying, “We can see that it will cost about K1 billion as the ballpark figure. We cannot be sitting here now hiding behind our processes that can affect the election next year.”