Production and Publication of Warrants to Subnational Government (PNG0032)

Commitment 8.4.4: Production and Publication of Warrants Remittance to Subnational Government

This commitment has been brought forward to NAP III, which demonstrates the Government's continued commitment to produce and publish warrants remitted to the Subnational tiers of the Government. It has been delivered quarterly for the past two years; however, it has not been reported as a completed commitment in the IRM Report.

The National Economic and Fiscal Commission (NEFC) monitors and reports on the timeliness and consistency of the national government's warrant and cash releases to subnational governments. Through its oversight work, NEFC tracks and publishes data on the release of function grants, highlighting trends and issues, such as the frequent delay in funding until the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. The NEFC uses quarterly and annual warrant data publications on a news media platform to communicate these trends and promote accountability in public financial management by sharing this information openly with the broader public.

NEFC's commitment to producing and publishing warrants will make Papua New Guinea's public financial system more open, accountable, and responsive. This will be done through strengthening the Warrant Release Reports and promoting multiple warranting by provincial administrations.

By publishing warrants, the NEFC creates a foundation for active and informed citizen participation. Citizens shift from being passive recipients of government services to engaged stakeholders who help shape priorities, monitor implementation, and demand results. This helps build a more inclusive, responsive, and democratic system of governance.

Tables 1-4 below provide a summary of the commitment's activities, key milestones, strategies, and indicators.

Table 1: Commitment 8.4.4: Production and Publication of Warrants Remittance to Subnational Government

Objective To increase visibility for citizens on the money going to the subnational government for transparency and accountability

| OGP Global Commitment | MTDP IV DIPS | OGP Commitment | No. | Summary Activities |
|----------------------|--------------|----------------|-----|-------------------|
| 2 | DIP 7.4 Public Finance Management | Production and Publication of Warrants Remittance to the Subnational government | 4.4 | Timely production and publication of warrant remittance to the subnational government via mainstream media outlets |

Table 2: Milestones and Activities

| No | Milestones | Deliverables | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|----|------------|-------------|------|------|------|------|------|
| 1 | Transparent Warrants Publication Framework Developed | Develop a standardized format for publishing warrants by province, by sector, by grant type | | | | | |
| | | Develop clear protocols and timelines for when and how warrants will be published | | | | | |
| | | Data-sharing arrangements were formalized between NEFC, the Department of Treasury, the Department of Finance, and subnational governments (MOA/MoU) | | | | | |
| 2 | Regular and Timely Warrants with Stakeholder Notification published | Publication of preceding bi-annual warrants in real time or scheduled intervals on NEFC's website or bulletin board, media, and other platforms | | | | ༨ | |
| | | Disaggregate warrant data by province, sector (e.g., Health, Education), and grant type (e.g., Function Grant) | | | | ༨ | |
| | | Notification of stakeholders, including provincial administrators, CSOs, and MPs, with simplified summaries or CFCs shared via email or print | | | | | |
| | | Establish a feedback (grievance) mechanism for subnational governments or citizens to query missing or delayed releases | | | | | |

Table 3: Strategies

| No | Implementation Strategy | Policy and Legislation Reference |
|----|------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1 | Effective and timely production and publication of Warrants | MTDP IV 2023-2027 |
| 2 | Timely awareness of remittance of warrants to subnational governments | NEFC Act 2009 |
| 3 | Improved accessibility and feedback mechanisms | PFMA 1995 |
| 4 | Improved coordination of warrants production and publication | Fiscal Responsibility Act 2006 |

Table 4: Indicators

| No | Indicator | Source | Baseline (2024) | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|----|----------|--------|----------------|------|------|------|------|------|
| 1 | Annual warrant report publications | NEFC Website | | | | | | |
| 2 | Proportion of feedback received on warrant release (%) | NEFC Website | | 0 | 20 | 30 30 | 40 | 50 50 |
| 3 | Total number of awareness and engagement on warrant delays annually | NEFC Website | | 0 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |