Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has announced his cabinet line-up.
PM Marape has put together a 33-member cabinet, with the Minister of Bougainville Affairs yet to be named.
Among the key appointments are Justin Tkatchenko, who becomes PNG’s new Minister for Foreign Affairs. Ian Ling Stuckey is again Minister for Treasury, Dr Lino Tom is Minister for Health, William Duma is Minister for State Enterprises, Raibo Paita is Minister for Finance & Implementation and Pila Niningi is Minister for Justice and Attorney General.
No woman MP has been allocated a cabinet position.
The following ministers were sworn in by Governor General Sir Bob Dadae Tuesday.
- James Marape – Prime Minister & Minister for Planning
- John Rosso – Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Lands Physical Planning & Urbanisation
- William Duma – Minister for State Enterprises
- Ian Ling Stuckey – Minister for Treasury
- Soroi Eoe – Minister for Provincial & Local Level Government Affairs
- Rainbo Paita – Minister for Finance & Implementation
- Richard Maru – Minister for International Trade & Investment
- Justin Tkatchenko – Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Don Polye – Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology & Sports
- Solan Mirisim – Minister for Works & Highway
- Pila Niningi – Minister for Justice & Attorney-General
- Walter Schnaubelt – Minister for Transport & Civil Aviation
- Kerenga Kua – Minister for Petroleum & Energy
- Jimmy Uguro – Minister for Education
- Joe Sungi – Minister for Public Service
- Salio Waipo – Minister for Forest
- Henry Amuli – Minister for Commerce & Industry
- Peter Tsiamalili Jnr – Minister for Internal Security (Police and CIS merged)
- Dr. Lino Tom – Minister for Health
- Kobby Bomoreo – Minister for Housing
- Jason Peter – Minister for Community Development, Religion & Youth
- Timothy Masiu – Minister for Information & Communication Technology
- Jelta Wong – Minister for Fisheries & Marine Resource
- Win Daki – Minister for Defence
- Esi Henry Leonard – Minister for Tourism, Art & Culture
- Aiye Tambua – Minister for Agriculture
- Sekie Agisa – Minister for Livestock
- Francis Maneke – Minister for Oil Palm
- Joe Kuli – Minister for Coffee
- Bryan Kramer-Minister for Labour & Immigration
- Ano Pala– Minister for Mining
- Simon Kilepa – Minister for Environment, Conservation & Climate Change
- Minister for Bougainville Affairs – No MP has been allocated this ministry yet but will be announced later.
Election violence
Meanwhile, a probe into the election-related violence and crimes will commence with police tasked to look into 30 deaths, 242 arrests for various election-related crimes, and the alleged involvement of 21 candidates who were allegedly involved in various crimes committed during the 2022 PNG General Election.
So far, two of the candidates are facing court in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, and Wabag, in Enga Province.
Four candidates are under a police investigation into their alleged involvement in the Mendi fight, with another 15 being investigated for their alleged involvement in the fight and destruction in Kandep and Lagaip districts.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape said those involved in illegal practices, violence and crimes during the elections should realise that they are just being used as “pawns” in a deadly game.
From the 242 election-related crimes, police are looking into fighting, destruction and tampering of ballot papers, murder, shooting, impersonation, instigating fights and attempted murder of unarmed voters.
