Marape rejects ‘slush fund’ claims

Prime Minister James Marape, this afternoon, in a statement, rejected claims by East Sepik Governor Allan Bird that there are “slush funds” under the Office of the Prime Minister.

Mr Marape described the claims as misleading and said government funding allocations are managed through proper legal and budget processes.

The Prime Minister said all budget appropriations passed by Parliament follow transparent procedures and are monitored by agencies including Treasury, the Department of Finance and the Auditor-General.

“The people of Papua New Guinea deserve facts, not politically-driven narratives designed to create suspicion and division,” Mr Marape said.

He said it was wrong to describe government contingency funds, development funding and district allocations as “slush funds” personally controlled by the Prime Minister.

“These are lawful appropriations passed by Parliament to enable government operations, emergency responses, development programmes and service delivery,” he said.

Mr Marape said no Prime Minister can spend public money outside the legal budget process.

He also explained that the funding allocations mentioned by Governor Bird fall under Treasury budget items managed through established public finance procedures.

“The Prime Minister has no personal discretion or unilateral authority over how these funds are applied or disbursed,” he said.

Mr Marape said all spending is regulated through the Budget Management Committee process to ensure accountability and compliance with government financial procedures.

He added that these budget arrangements existed under previous governments and continue as part of normal government operations.

The Prime Minister also said his government remains committed to fair distribution of resources across all provinces, including East Sepik Province.

“We have continued supporting East Sepik and every province regardless of political affiliation,” he said.

Mr Marape urged leaders with policy disagreements to debate issues responsibly and avoid creating public distrust in government institutions.

He said his government remains focused on economic recovery, infrastructure, job creation, agriculture, law and order and improving basic services across the country.