Donor funds for NACS used by other organisations

 DONOR funds meant for the National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) to implement HIV/AIDS programmes are instead used by other organisations, an inquiry has been told.

Council member James Wong told the Public Accounts Committee inquiry that when they came into office, they found out that all donor funds given as aid to the national government specifically for HIV/AIDS went to NACS’s partner organisations. 

“We’ve found out that the council secretariat hasn’t been using the money given and that huge amounts of money coming from the government have been controlled by management agencies (of NACS),” Wong said.

He said there was no accountability, transparency or cohesion, adding that some non-governmental organisations came to PNG and worked for only five years before leaving again.

“Anything to do with HIV in PNG should come through the National AIDS Council Secretariat,” he said.

NACS’s deputy director, Philip Tapo told the committee that he joined the secretariat when it was established and up until today, he had not seen funding go directly to NACS nor has it managed the funds.

“I can tell you that we only hear about how much is given but we don’t see the money.” 

This year, the government allocated only K3 million to NACS to be distributed to provincial AIDS committees. 

PAC chairman and Bogia MP John Hickey said he had been on the committee for 11 years and had not seen one donor representative attend an inquiry to observe or give evidence. 

“I hate hearing about PNG being rubbished internationally.”

Hickey said it was disappointing that such partners who worked in PNG return to their countries and not only give reports of what they had done but also paint a bad image of PNG describing it as corrupt with poor management.

“Donor funds appropriated in the national budget are being spent by contracted donors. 

“Donors and taxpayers from other countries think that their money is given to the people on the ground in PNG.”