COVID-19 Accountability
COVID-19 has strongly hit PNG in the commencement of 2021. The country is in destitute with a struggling economic situation, inadequate health care service and weak governance system.
In April 2nd to June 2nd 2020 the legislators declared a State of Emergency (SOE) to address the pandemic. Donations were received locally and internationally into Treasury as well as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to support the government’s resilience to COVID-19 since March 2020.
Given PNG government’s history in lack of accountability of public funds, alarming concerns arouse during the SoE particularly that the Public Finance Management Act and National Procurement Act were not applicable.
To ensure accountability, the government issued a Finance Instruction 05/2020 to manage funds for COVID-19 Emergency Response at the national, provincial and district level.
The then Police Minister, Bryan Kramer announced publicly that he would provide an audit report by the government’s expenditure on the K23million allocated in the first tranche.
Minister Kramer announced that K21 million has so far been spent to address COVID- 19 in the country. He said this when receiving an internal audit report from Pape Accountants and Business Advisors into the usage of COVID funds in Port Moresby on the 14th of July 2020 (Papua New Guinea Today, 2020).
On the 16th of July 2020 the Post Courier reported that SOE Controller David manning was satisfied with the completion of the Covid-19 funds SOE internal audit report. Manning stated that “We committed to ensure that funds released by government or donor agencies for the purposes of our response to Covid-19 and the process in which we apply for or spend those funds follow lawful processed”.
He further stated that “Without having the opportunity of going through the full report, what I can say is we have delivered on that commitment in ensuring the report was compiled” (Post Courier, 2020).
The Pape Accountants audit report , has not been made public to date and the credibility and independence of the report is questionable.
on March 27, 2021, Prime Minister James Marape stated in a press conference, that from the 20 Provincial Health Authorities (PHA) that received K2 million each (and Districts received K1million) for COVID-19 response, he was disappointed that only 2 PHAs submitted its report.
In March 30, 2021, Police Commissioner, David Manning called on all DDAs and PHAs to acquit COVID-19 funds that were given last year before disbursement of remaining funds and that criminal investigations will be conducted on any allegations.
Commissioner Manning said that a full expenditure report will be compiled and presented to the Health Minister Jelta Wong to be presented to the NEC (The National, 2021).
While the country is being hit by the pandemic, all expenditures on the COVID-19 response should be spent in accordance to the Public Finances (Management) Act (1995), Public Finances (Management) Regulation 1996 (PFMR) and National Procurement Act (2018).
The recently passed Pandemic Act 2020 is the current legal framework that is in effect during the pandemic. However, the act has been under extreme scrutiny for being in breach of the constitution and citizens rights.
On the 5th of August 2020, Opposition Leader Belden Namah filed a Supreme Court application challenging the constitutionality of the National Pandemic Act 2020.
This matter is now before the courts (Luma, 2020). TIPNG has raised concerns on the constitutionality of the Pandemic Act and its impact on civic freedoms in PNG
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