Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says there has been no report or clear study on Bougainville’s autonomous status to this day.
He said for the most part, Bougainville’s autonomous status had been shaded by the Bougainville crisis.
Marape was responding a series of questions put through by East Sepik governor Allan Bird on what set the Bougainville’s autonomous status apart to other provinces also seeking the same path.
Bird asked if the autonomy arrangement had worked or failed on Bougainville and if there were any audits conducted to be tabled in Parliament for MPs and public to view.
Marape said provinces operated under the Provincial and Local Level Government (1995) Organic Law while Bougainville operated under part 14 of the Constitution.
He said the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Arob) was a direct creation of the Constitution through the amendment that took place in 2001 and their autonomy was clearly defined.
“Reporting has always been blurred simply at the backdrop knowing fully that they have a special case, they come from the crisis background,” Marape said of Bougainville’s circumstances.
“There is some element of sympathy from Waigani to them that has not compelled much of accountability and reporting back to Waigani.
“I would ask in the next meeting with Bougainville’s leaders for a study on what has happened so we can help them in their course on what is coming ahead and for us going into the future,” he said.
Marape said in other ways the full audit, or study, had taken place in respect to their power arrangement which had seen most transferred to Bougainville.
Most of Bougainville’s functions have been transferred in the 2010 Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) with education being the first function, followed by economic powers of fisheries, forestry and land ownership under the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
“Transfers of power have been somewhat slow, Buka is not anxious to draw down of powers and Waigani is also slow to transfer powers,” he said.
Marape said PNG had retained sovereignty on defence, currency and foreign affairs matters.
