Marape calls for APEC audit to be finalised before 2021 budget

PRIME Minister James Marape has instructed his department, the Auditor-General and the Finance Department to finalise the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) audited report before the 2021 budget is tabled in parliament.
Central Governor Robert Agarobe had asked the Government when the report would be presented to the country.
Marape when responding to Agarobe’s question, said these three departments have “been running around in circles.”
He said the Prime Minister’s Department was instructed to take the lead in the report.
“In as far as the Apec report is concerned, there was an issue between the Auditor-General’s Office, the Finance Department and PM’s Department. I have given them instructions that this report must be finalised before budget 2021 is brought in, the Apec report must be settled once and for all and Papua New Guinea must know exactly where we are.
“There is a report that has come from an auditing firm that was engaged to assist this report.
“So hopefully in our November sitting, when parliament sits to pass the 2021 budget, we’ll have the Apec report to have a total view and oversight on what did transpire during Apec.”
He said in terms of the relevance of Apec, though it was hosted at a time when the country was struggling economically, it as a milestone achievement by the previous government.
Marape said the work now was to link the connectivity to the Apec economies made during the summit to take advantage of the markets as far as export of raw and finished products.