ENB presents 2026 SIP via bilum digital platform
East New Britain Provincial Administrator Levi Mano last night, submitted the province’s 2025 financial report on the Provincial Service Improvement Program (SIP) via the new Bilum Digital platform.
The digital platform is being rolled out by the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD), since 2023 with the first few pilot provinces already submitting their 2025 acquittal SIP reports this year.
East New Britain is among 6 pilot provinces with several districts in those provinces.
The acquittal report of the 2025 Provincial SIP monies on the Bilum digital platform last night, makes ENB the 5th center to submit it’s report, while Pomio district was reportedly the 2nd in the country, to submit it’s 2024 and 2025 district SIP reports.
Prior to submitting the province’s report, Mr. Mano acknowledged the national government through the DIRD and DICT teams for assisting provinces to improve their capabilities and capacities to report on time.
“Not only in a timely manner, but truthful reports that reflect what is happening in our communities, especially with the government funds coming directly to the provinces and districts through the SIPs,” he said.
He said this is a mechanism that helps tie everyone responsible with their activities together, for effective reporting of project delivery in the districts and province, in real time.
“In terms of recording, data collection, compilation and management of the entire process, from appropriation to tendering through the NPC to the PPC, and all the way to how the cheque is printed by the treasury,” he said.
Mr. Mano iterated the platform pulls together all the data, finance, projects, plans, policies reflected into the budget, right through to implementation, with the outcome shown in the report.
He further urged the 3 districts of Kokopo, Rabaul and Gazelle to complete their SIP reports by this Friday and submit them via the digital platform.
DIRD NGI Assistant Secretary Mr. Nick Manes said once provinces and districts submit their reports, there is a four-step process before the reports are confirmed and finalized by the departmental head.
“When reports are uploaded through the system, it creates a compliance score card for the districts and provinces. And even though one district or province can be the first to submit it’s report, it’s level of compliance may vary, in that it can have a low compliance rate, as compared to the 5th center that submits it’s SIP report,” he said.
All the pilot provinces have a deadline of August, to submit their 2025 SIP reports electronically, while other provinces will be expected to also swiftly send in their hard copy reports this year.