DIRD aims to do away with manual acquittal reporting  

The Department of Implementation and Rural Development [DIRD] is looking into digitizing the reporting systems and functions of the districts and provincial governments through the Digital Bilum Platform.

These systems are to ensure that public funds spent in districts and provinces is digitally managed and ensure there is improvement in oversight, enhance efficiency, transparency and seeing impacts of local projects across PNG.

DIRD Secretary Aihi Vaki in an interview with NBC Online explained that manual reporting is time consuming.

"The bilum project design and building of the platform is marked to be complete at the end of 2025. Awareness and Rollout will continue beyond 2025. It entirely depends on the province and districts readiness.”

The Deputy Secretary for Programs and Implementation wing, Gordon Wafimbu further explained that District Development Authorities [DDA's] and provincial governments should be prepared by ensuring all necessary equipment and resources are available.

"Important infrastructures like the internet connectivity, sustainable electricity supply and district capacity like the human resource, administration building, operational materials like computers, etc., are critical to enhance effective use of the Bilum Platform to coordinate, manage, implement and report on the usage of SIP [special improvement programs] funds.”

Mr. Wafimbu said they have already rollout sub-national stakeholder consultation to 64 electorates around the country including eight provinces and they expect to complete the remaining electorates by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, the department would like to encourage every district and province to work with the department to ensure manual system of reporting system is completely done away with and entering all information into the cloud so it’s safe and secure.