Prime Minister James Marape has declared that the suspension of 70 departmental and agency heads is a strict enforcement of long-standing accountability laws, dismissing claims that it stems from a new government policy.
The Prime Minister clarified that the mass suspensions target public officials who failed to meet statutory duties requiring State entities to transparently report and account for public funds and resources.
Prime Minister Marape made these remarks in Parliament on Tuesday, August 01st, 2026, in response to questions raised by Dei MP Desmond Kipa regarding the current status and legality of the administrative suspensions.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the Constitution and various Acts of Parliament dictate clear, mandatory reporting timelines for public administrators.
“These are not optional matters but requirements of the law,” Prime Minister Marape stated. “If you are responsible for public money, you must report.”
To anchor the legality of the State’s intervention, the Prime Minister cited an extensive framework of existing legislation:
The Constitution (including Section 187): Establishes explicit reporting obligations regarding public administration and judicial operations.
The Organic Law on Provincial and Local-Level Governments: Mandates stringent, regular reporting from all provincial administrations.
The Prime Minister’s Act: Outlines executive mechanisms to monitor government line departments through the Chief Secretary.
The Public Finances (Management) Act & Public Services (Management) Act: Demands that comprehensive annual performance and financial statements be compiled and submitted on time.
Prime Minister Marape expressed strong sentiments against successive governments for tolerating substandard reporting practices, noting that several suspended agency heads are repeat offenders who have neglected their reporting duties for multiple consecutive years.
He questioned how agencies receiving millions of Kina in public funding could justify withholding performance data until the annual budget cycle.
“As we mark our 50th year of Independence, it is time to break away from the bad habits of the past and get these fundamental principles right.”
Issuing a stern ultimatum to senior bureaucrats, he warned that high academic qualifications and decades of experience mean nothing if basic compliance is ignored.
“If you are not doing the job you are paid to do- particularly reporting on public finances and human resource matters- then please, do the country, your family, and yourself a favour and vacate the office.”
Parliament was informed that the Office of the Chief Secretary and the Department of Personnel Management have formally initiated disciplinary and suspension proceedings against the 70 affected heads.
Regarding the Right to Reply, affected officers have been formally served notices and must show cause to the Chief Secretary detailing why they failed their statutory duties.
To maintain Interim Leadership, relevant line ministers have been instructed to immediately identify internal deputies to step up as acting heads, ensuring zero disruption to state services.
For Further Updates, the Chief Secretary will release precise administrative details as the independent investigation progresses.
Responding to further queries about why departmental heads are being penalized while ministers are not, Prime Minister Marape drew the line between elected leaders and career public servants.
“Ministers are elected by the people. Public servants are appointed through established processes,” he explained.
“Ministers can come and go, but administrative heads remain permanently, responsible for ensuring public funds are properly administered.”
“I am paving the way for whoever becomes Prime Minister after 2027. We are taking the bull by the horn to ensure there is transparency and accountability.”
The Prime Minister cautioned the suspended departmental heads to stop using politicians as political lobbyists to bypass the legal process or protect their positions.