The Government is committed to keep the only multi sector policy and development dialogue platform in the country, the Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council (CIMC) operational going forward.
The Government made this commitment over the weekend after news of CIMC’s imminent closure was published by Loop PNG and shared widely on social media platforms.
The CIMC is presently grateful to the government for appropriating K4 million for the first time in the 2023 National Budget through PIP (K1million) at Department of National Panning & Monitoring and Miscellaneous Item #207 (K3million) under the Department of Treasury.
Getting these funds released was cumbersome for the CIMC. It was about to close when Treasurer Ian Ling Stuckey, Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Rainbo Paita and Chief Secretary to Government Ambassador Ivan Pomaleu intervened.
CIMC has been operating in arrears since 2020 with huge outstanding overhead costs, and unpaid management fees to the Institute of National Affairs (INA). Quick action by the government gives it confidence that it will remain operational.
CIMC was established by the National Executive Council (NEC Decision 46/98) after the 1998 National Economic Summit to oversee implementation of the 105 Summit recommendations and also because government recognised the importance of promoting a broad-based and consultative process of policy formulation and implementation.
All the work it does has always been aligned to overarching Government Plans including Vision 2050 and the Papua New Guinea Development Strategic Plan 2010‐2030 which describes the goals and strategies for strengthening and improving policy dialogue between the private sector; civil society and Government (refer to pages 135‐138).
The National Development Co‐operation Policy as the medium for constructive public debate and dialogue also describes CIMC on public policy development and implementation.
CIMC, for the past 24 years, has been working to compliment the Government to achieve those policy aspirations by providing the dialogue platform for private sector and civil society to have a direct influence in developing and implementing public policy.