By PNG Herald – Political Desk
Port Moresby | 28 October 2025
A fiery exchange in Parliament on Tuesday this week saw Chuave MP James Nomane accuse Prime Minister James Marape of treating the people of Simbu as “second-class citizens” and “weaponising the national budget.”
Raising a question without notice, Mr Nomane said the Prime Minister had recently admitted that K56 billion in public funds had been spent over six years “with no visible results.” He said Simbu had received only a fraction of its 2025 functional grants and demanded the publication of all expenditure reports.
“Mr Speaker, Simbu is not a second-class citizen,” Mr Nomane told the House. “We have received only about 25 per cent of what is due to us this year. Publish the reports and let the people see where the money has gone.”
Mr Nomane said Simbu Province was owed about K34 million in functional grants for 2025 but had so far received K8.8 million. He called the delay “unacceptable” and accused the Government of marginalising opposition districts.
Marape defends government fairness
Prime Minister Marape rejected the claims, insisting his Government had been fair to all provinces and districts since taking office in 2019.
“If we were not fair, the Suai [Simbu] District would not have received K7 million to date,” Mr Marape replied. “Every MP, including those on the Opposition side, has received at least 50 per cent of their DSIP allocations. Some have also benefited from kina-for-kina and infrastructure grants.”
He said the K56 billion figure referred to total national transfers since 2019 and did not include recurrent spending. He added that the Auditor-General had been instructed to audit all departmental and agency expenditures, and that independent auditors such as Deloitte were now engaged through the National Monitoring Authority to track the “money trail.”
“We are not hiding anything,” the Prime Minister said. “Final Budget Outcome reports are tabled every year for public scrutiny. The facts are there.”
Calls for transparency
The exchange drew several interventions from the Speaker as tensions rose across the floor. Mr Nomane continued to demand that Treasury and Finance publish full expenditure records, saying “the people simply want to see the results.”
Mr Marape maintained that Simbu had not been “systematically victimised,” noting that over K50 million had been allocated since 2019 for the Karamui–Kundiawa road, a key economic route for the province.
The confrontation has reignited national debate over budget equity and government accountability, with both leaders’ statements now circulating widely online following the official Parliament livestream.
Source: Parliament of Papua New Guinea — Official Sitting, 28 October 2025 (Facebook Live Broadcast)
By PNG Herald Staff Reporter
Publisher- Christina Kewa-Swarbrick has over 20 years experience in the Media Industry and over 10 Years in Prophetic Engineering. She's a Holistic Life Solutions Coach, who combines her lived knowledge and experiences and her professional industry knowldege to help others. She's the founder of VISION4040 (PNG) and DBUM Bible Technology, a spiritual mapping system unlocking destiny blueprints . To engage her professional services go to this link: cks.vision4040.com
As a concerned citizen of Papua New Guinea, I percieve independently the Marape -Nomane is a cry for Constitutional Balance. Take away J Marape, and take away J Nomane- it is the Cry of Justice at Highest level. With several layers of coats cover the underlying cry out of the Mother law or mama law. The constitution abuse at Highest level cries for freedom.
We hear the inner bleeding process of my Nation. The unexpressed, unexplained tears pour quietly in this nation 🙏 Praying for God to intervene.
A Major shift is on its way