PNG's Dei Open MP Kipa demands answers from PM Marape over sacked agency bosses

 PNG's Dei Open MP Kipa demands answers from PM Marape over sacked agency bosses

Prime Minister James Marape has been put on the spot in Parliament over the legal grounds used to suspend more than 70 heads of public sector agencies across Papua New Guinea, with DEI Open MP Desmond Kipa demanding clarity on the process.

Mr Kipa, while backing the Prime Minister's move against underperforming department and agency heads, pressed him to explain exactly what law empowered the mass suspensions that have swept through provincial administrations, hospitals, universities and state enterprises.

Responding to the query, Mr Marape told Parliament the action was grounded firmly in law, pointing to the constitutional and statutory requirement for departmental and agency heads to file annual reports covering their operations, finances and human resource management.

He referred members to Sections 187, 220 and 256 of the Constitution, Section 119(1) of the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local-level Governments, Section 22 of the Prime Minister's Act, Section 14 of the NEC Act, and Section 47L(1) of the Public Finances (Management) Act as the legal backbone of the decision.

The Prime Minister stressed that any public official entrusted with public funds carries a legal duty to account for how that money is spent.

"The Constitution and subsidiary Parliament laws state that reports must be submitted," Mr Marape said, adding that the obligation to report stood even in years when an agency's full annual budget allocation was not released.

He used the moment to issue a broader warning to public sector chiefs, saying the days of lax reporting were over.

"It's about time we break loose on bad habits of the past and, in the 50th year of reset, we get this fundamental basic right," Mr Marape said.

Turning to the fate of the suspended officers, the Prime Minister confirmed the Chief Secretary had directed responsible ministers to appoint deputies from within their own agencies to hold the fort as acting heads while the matter is sorted out.

"The 70 that are under suspension, they just have to tell the Chief Secretary the reason why they didn't report," he said.

The suspensions stem from a National Executive Council decision made on July 22, which cleared the immediate stand-down of more than 70 heads of public institutions found to have failed mandatory annual reporting obligations. Those caught up in the sweep include provincial administrators, Provincial Health Authority chief executives, university heads, state-owned enterprise bosses, heads of the disciplined forces and heads of constitutional offices.

In a statement released on July 30, Mr Marape maintained the decision was applied evenly across the board and did not target any individual or institution unfairly.