At a time when questions around governance and public trust remain pressing across the Pacific, a senior Papua New Guinean official has issued a pointed call for greater civic engagement in holding the state accountable. Michael Kumung, Deputy Secretary of the Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM), has urged citizens to demand transparency and fiscal accountability from all levels of government, reinforcing the Marape Government’s commitment to the principles of the Open Government Partnership (OGP).
Speaking during a recent OGP public consultation workshop in Lae, Kumung outlined the importance of embedding openness into Papua New Guinea’s governance architecture. “The Open Government Partnership is fundamentally about greater transparency and accountability in the systems of government,” he said. Papua New Guinea is now one of 78 nations formally committed to the global OGP platform, which seeks to improve governance through citizen participation, disclosure, and reform.
Transparency Is Not a Slogan—It’s a System
Kumung was unambiguous in calling for increased fiscal transparency, arguing that citizens have the right to know how public funds are programmed, allocated, and spent. “This information must be visible to the citizens of this country,” he said. For PNG—a country that has seen repeated governance challenges around budget execution and service delivery—this push toward transparency is not cosmetic. It’s structural.
“People must now know how much we have progressed and what we have achieved in terms of education, healthcare services, and the connectivity we have created through transport networks, energy rollout, and communications,” Kumung said.
The message here is twofold: first, that transparency should enable people to evaluate real progress in development outcomes; and second, that it should also highlight where gaps persist—and why.
A Realistic Assessment of Progress
In what was perhaps the most nuanced part of his remarks, Kumung acknowledged that Papua New Guinea has made significant strides over the past 50 years, moving from an agrarian economy to a more literate, connected, and globally integrated society. This recognition stands in contrast to the often-negative public narrative, where frustrations over corruption, underdevelopment, and poor service delivery dominate.
“We cannot just write ourselves off and say we haven’t progressed. We have progressed a great deal,” he noted.
However, progress alone is not enough. Kumung warned against complacency and called for more strategic and responsible resource mobilisation, especially in light of the country’s fiscal constraints. “We don’t grow money on trees at Waigani,” he said wryly, referring to the seat of government power. The takeaway: PNG’s development ambitions must be matched by smarter budgeting, stronger accountability mechanisms, and citizen oversight.
The Role of Citizens and Civil Society
Perhaps most striking was Kumung’s insistence that accountability is not the government’s job alone. He called on all stakeholders—including government agencies, civil society organisations, and everyday citizens—to actively participate in promoting transparency. This reflects a shift from top-down governance models to a more participatory framework, where citizens are not just recipients of services, but watchdogs and co-creators of development outcomes.
The emphasis on OGP principles also comes at a critical time. As PNG embarks on its 50th Independence Anniversary, and as the Marape Government advances new strategic plans under MTDP IV and Vision 2050, the credibility of those frameworks depends largely on whether the public can trust that policy promises are backed by transparent action.
What’s at Stake?
Kumung’s remarks serve as a reminder that development is not only about what governments do, but also about how they do it—and how citizens respond. In fragile states, open government is often treated as a donor tick-box. But in PNG’s context, it could be the difference between stagnation and inclusive growth.
The country’s growing alignment with international platforms like the OGP offers a roadmap for better governance. But the real test will lie in implementation—whether budget data is made public and accessible, whether service delivery targets are tracked and reported, and whether citizens are equipped and empowered to demand results.
As Deputy Secretary Kumung concluded: “Transparency must remain central to delivering services that improve the lives of all Papua New Guineans.” That is not just a bureaucratic goal—it is a democratic imperative.