PAC questions Commerce Ministry over $6.119m supplementary funding request covering operations, border systems and development projects.
The Public Accounts Committee has questioned the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration over a $6.119 million supplementary funding request under the 2026 Supplementary Appropriation Bill.
According to the ministry’s presentation to the committee, the request comprises $3.119 million in recurrent expenditure and $3 million for development programmes.
Permanent Secretary Riley Mesapitu told the PAC that the recurrent funding would support three areas of ministry operations: Corporate Services, Immigration and Company Haus.
Of the recurrent allocation, about $1.27 million is proposed for Corporate Services, while $1.75 million would support the Immigration Division’s border management system. A further $99,000 is earmarked for equipment for Company Haus.
Mesapitu said the proposed immigration funding would support the border management system and related work with other government stakeholders, including police and border-security agencies.
The ministry said the additional $3 million development allocation would support value-added and downstream-processing projects that have already gone through the ministry’s approval processes.
However, officials told the committee that the value of approved project commitments exceeds the $3 million available under the supplementary allocation.
This means some projects could receive partial funding in 2026, while others may have to be considered under the 2027 budget.
The proposed development funding covers projects involving small and medium-sized enterprises, indigenous businesses and activities linked to agriculture, fisheries, commercial operations, technology and forestry.
“The amount of approvals by the ministry or TEDA board is more than $3 million,” Mesapitu told the committee.
The PAC also questioned how the ministry coordinates its programmes with other government agencies responsible for productive sectors.
Committee members raised concerns about potential duplication of programmes and the use of limited public resources across government.
PAC Chairman Paul Bosawai called for greater coordination among ministries.
“Let’s reorganise ourselves. I think one of our recommendations is to reorganise ourselves so that we don’t replicate other ministries’ work plans,” Bosawai said.
Mesapitu agreed with the concern and said greater coordination was needed across the productive sectors.
“I totally agree with what you’ve raised. I think it’s about time that in all the productive sectors, we need to work and align ourselves together,” he said.
The ministry also outlined five broader economic priorities: national production and import substitution; land reform and productive partnerships; indigenous enterprise development and business protection; national connectivity and market access; and provincial growth corridors and investment zones.
The PAC is expected to consider the ministry’s evidence and any further written responses as it prepares its report to Parliament
By: Steven kamoa
