Gulf Governor Sir Chris Haiveta is outraged with Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey and Prime Minister James Marape over the diversion of K20 million development grants meant for his province.
Today, (Friday, July 26th) he officially submitted his resignation from the Pangu Pati caucus in protest.
Sir Haiveta, while remaining a Pangu member, is stepping outside the party caucus to fight for the return of the funds intended for the Gulf Province from the PNG LNG project.
“This money belongs to the people of Gulf, and I will not stand by while it is misappropriated.”
He has served court documents to both the Treasurer and the Prime Minister, with the case set to be heard next week.
“They have breached the Public Finance Management Act, and they must explain their actions in court,” Sir Haiveta declared.
He has also requested the Ombudsman Commission to investigate the matter.
The dispute centres around a directive issued on July 7, 2024, by Treasurer Ling-Stuckey, authorizing a K60 million development grant to the Enga Provincial Government, which included K20 million originally allocated to Gulf Province.
This action, according to Sir Haiveta, violated established budgetary processes and destabilized government operations.
Sir Haiveta criticized the Government for its lack of consultation with provincial stakeholders and condemned the illegal allocation of funds.
“Our government processes are failing, and this mismanagement is eroding public trust,” he asserted.
He emphasized the need for the Government to address these financial missteps and urged for better management of available funds.
“We must restore integrity and accountability in our governance to rebuild trust and stimulate economic growth.”
Sir Haiveta remains committed to serving his province and ensuring the proper allocation and management of national resources.
Affected Gulf landowners in project impacted areas turned up today to show support to Haiveta, while expressing their anger as well.