Caritas PNG have signed a contract agreement with Managing Contractor DT Global this week in Port Moresby to advance a Church Partnership Program (CPP).
The signing happened On Thursday 02 February, 2023 at the Catholic Bishops Conference. Under the Phase 4 of the CPP, $2.7 million AUD will be given to CPNG to implement development activities over the next three years.
CPNG National Director, Mavis Tito thanked Caritas Australia for managing the CPP Phases 1-3 on behalf of the Catholic Church in PNG, as well as the initial stages of the transition process.
Tito said though it had seemed like a mammoth task, with the list of the due diligence checks that were needed to be completed they had passed that and successfully got to the signing of the agreement.
She added that was a testament to all the hard work put in by individuals, in various capacities and on all sides.
Tito thanked the people and Government of Australia through DFAT for entrusting them with the funds and assured them that as the custodian, CPNG will aim to manage it well with utmost care and diligence.
Second Secretary for DFAT Joseph Manteit congratulated CPNG and the Catholic Church for being the direct recipient of the CPP funds.
He also commended CPNG for being a model organization for doing commendable work using DFAT funds to assist people in the communities.
DT Global and BCEP representative and team leader Doreen Iga, described the signing of the contract agreement as a milestone because localization of grants and funding has been a long-term ambition.
“The Catholic Church has paved the way for all the other CPP partners by embracing the opportunity to manage the funds directly and it demonstrates that localization is possible to other partners”, she said.
Acting Country Director for Caritas Australia Roslyn Kuniata congratulated the CPNG team on this milestone achievement after 18 years. “The journey was long and very challenging, but this occasion proves that the CPP can be localized
and Papua New Guineans have the capacity to manage DFAT grants.” Kuniata said.
The CPP is a partnership for development led by the seven mainline churches in PNG and their Australian Church Non-Government Organization (ANGO) counterparts, with additional leadership and input through the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG), civil society, private sector, DFAT and other development partners.