Discretionary funds blamed for PNG no-confidence push

A Papua New Guinea academic believes that the discretionary funds handed out to MPs are the root of the country’s persistent pushes for votes of no confidence.

The PNG opposition filed a court challenge on Monday is seeking a court injunction over what it views as the misuse of standing orders by the Speaker Job Pomat.

University of PNG political scientist Michael Kabuni said despite the last two sittings of parliament being dominated by attempts to remove Prime Minister James Marape, the vote itself, a bastion of the Westminster system of government, is not to blame.

He said there are claims being made that the prime minister is withholding the K$20 million of discretionary funds due to each and every MP, from the opposition members.

“Now, if these claims are true it explains why you have this chaotic movement of MPs from one side to another,” he said.

“Because they want to be on the winning side, they don’t want to miss out.

“If government is going to change they want to be on the side of that government, because that government will now control the funding.”

Called DSIP (District Service Improvement Program) and PSIP (Provincial Service Improvement Program) funds, they are handed over to MPs to use with their discretion in their electorates.

But they have long attracted criticism from watchdog groups, such as Transparency International, and also the Catholic Church in PNG, concerned about the opportunities to misuse the money.

Kabuni said that one way to counter the problem would be for legislation to control the distribution of the funding but he doubts MPs would ever agree to make the change.