National Government underfunds Bougainville police Service

Challenges in manpower, mobility, infrastructure, other equipment and welfare continue to haunt the Bougainville Police Service (BPS) from effectively performing its duty.

BPS was created following the signing of the 2001 peace agreement and is subject to the care and funding from both the national government and the autonomous Bougainville government.

Minister responsible in the ABG government John Bosco Ragu told the Bougainville House of Representatives sitting last month that the BPS continues to receive very minimal funding support from the national government through the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and these annual figures are merely adequate to effectively operate the service.

“The National Government gives Bougainville Police Service a mere less than K100,000 annually,” Ragu said.

“What can you do with this lousy money, given the huge demand from a government sector that is required to perform its constitutional mandate on 24-7 or daily operations to ensure safety and security of the entire nation and people as a whole.”

Ragu thanked the Toroama-Nisira government for an increased funding allocation over the last two years, saying these monies will and are helping to establish and expand police presence and visibility across the region.

The Bougainville Police Service is using these funds to establish and re-establish police stations and posts across the region from north to south.

He highlighted some of this infrastructure development such as the police station in Bana district and police post in Konga, Siwai district, both in South Bougainville, the re-establishment of the Kieta police station and Panguna police post in Central Bougainville and the Siwai police post and highway patrol post in Siara in North Bougainville which was just launched this week.

“Despite the National Government's lack of support to the BPS, I want to commend the Toroama-Nisira government for its oversight to ensuring the Bougainville Police gets at least some allocation to the ABG's annual budget,” Ragu said.

“The re-establishment of this law enforcement infrastructure is part of the BPS independence readiness.”