Finance Minister

 “All Government expenditures of 2015 has ceased and lapsed, all government cheques printed in 2015 fiscal year come to cease, and we will only honour 2016 commitments and cheques,” Marape said.  

“2016 fiscal year open on the 4^th January 2016, taking decision here in (Department of) Finance in consultation with (the Department of)Treasury and National Planning as well as the Prime Minister.  

“Our department will be going to commercial banks to ensure that cheques not presented in 2015 are invalid.”

This was the announcement made by Finance Minister James Marape after the National Executive Council gave its approval.

Marape says the districts will now be the point for coordinating relief supplies for those affected.

He says the districts are closer to the people and response would be much quicker.

“This will also avoid the layers of public service process that delay response to disasters like this,” he says.

The government has also given a Certificate of Inexpediency which will allow districts to get relief supplies from the following business houses