01/10/2026
September 2026. 118 separate accounts set up for El Niño relief funds
The Finance Department has established 118 separate bank accounts to manage K500 million allocated for the national El Niño response.
The accounts cover 96 districts and 22 provinces and are separate from normal District Development Authority accounts.
Under the current arrangement, K2.5 million is to be made available to each district and province, totalling K295 million for provincial and district response activities.
Separate accounts and full acquittal requirements are designed to keep disaster funds traceable and available for communities affected by drought, water shortages and food insecurity.
https://www.thenational.com.pg/el-nino-funds-will-be-used-responsibly-says-minister/
EL NIÑO Relief Funds Must Reach People in Need, Opa says
Finance Minister Thomas Opa has called for the K500 million allocated for the national El Niño response to be used strictly for communities affected by drought, water shortages and food insecurity.
Mr Opa said the Marape-Rosso Government had recognised the impact of El Niño on rural communities and had provided additional funding through the 2026 Supplementary Budget.
He said the Department of Finance had established **118 separate bank accounts** to manage the El Niño relief funds, keeping them separate from normal District Development Authority (DDA) accounts.
Under the arrangement, **K2.5 million will be made available to each of the 96 districts and 22 provinces**, amounting to K295 million for provincial and district-level response activities.
“These are disaster-response funds. They are not ordinary Service Improvement Program (SIP) funds, and they must be treated separately so that they remain available specifically for responding to El Niño and other related emergencies,” Opa said.
He said the Department of Finance had also advised the Ombudsman Commission about the establishment of the separate accounts and their special purpose.
Opa stressed that the funds must remain available to respond to genuine emergencies, including during the national election period.
“Disasters do not stop because the country is preparing for or conducting an election,” he said.
He called on MPs, provincial governments and district administrations to work closely with disaster management authorities to identify communities genuinely affected by El Niño.
Opa said assistance should be based on credible evidence of disaster impact and genuine need, regardless of whether a district is represented by a Government or Opposition MP.
“Whether a district is represented by a Government MP or an Opposition MP is irrelevant when people are facing a genuine disaster. Our responsibility is to the people of Papua New Guinea,” he said.
The Minister also stressed the need for proper accountability, saying every kina allocated for El Niño relief must be fully acquitted.
He said expenditure must be supported by appropriate documentation and all authorities involved must comply with financial management requirements.
“This is about protecting our people,” Opa said.
“I call on all MPs, provincial governments, district administrations and disaster management authorities to act responsibly, respond quickly and ensure that every kina intended for disaster relief reaches its intended purpose.”
