The National Executive Council (NEC), also known as the Cabinet of Papua New Guinea functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the government system of

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. The

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

and Ministers serve as members of the Cabinet.

NEC building

Sir Manasupe Haus (House) is the building that hosts the Department of the Prime Minister and the National Executive Council. Formerly known as Marea House, fondly referred to as the “Pineapple Building” due to its shape, it is named after Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc, a former Chief Secretary of PNG. It was renamed and reopened on 27 January 2016 after being closed for renovations funded by

Oil Search Oil Search was the largest oil and gas exploration and development company incorporated in Papua New Guinea, which operates all of Papua New Guinea's oilfields. In December 2021, it merged with the Australian company Santos. History Oil Searc ...

Functions

All executive power in the government is vested in the National Executive Council, which comprises all Ministers of the Crown. Unlike Australia, whose has a two-tier level of government between the Cabinet for political decision and the Federal Executive Council for purely formal decisions, the NEC is patterned along the precedent of the former as it makes policy decisions. The total number of Ministers comprising the National Executive Council is never to be less than a quarter of the National Parliament. There is a Secretary to the National Executive Council, who is responsible to the Prime Minister and is charge of the Council Secretariat. In addition, a Senior Minister position exists on an ''ad hoc'' basis.

Current Cabinet

Prime Minister

James Marape James Marape (born 24 April 1971) is a Papua New Guinean politician, who is serving as the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea since May 2019. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007, representing the el ...

added nine new ministers to his cabinet on 20 December 2020.

Past Cabinets

Second Marape Cabinet

announced his second Cabinet on 1 October 2020.

First Marape Cabinet

Prime Minister James Marape appointed his first Cabinet on 7 June 2019.

Marape Caretaker Cabinet

James Marape was elected as Prime Minister on 30 May 2019, and on 31 May he appointed a caretaker Cabinet.

O'Neill-Abel Cabinet

Following the re-election of

Peter O'Neill Peter Charles Paire O'Neill (born 13 February 1965) is a Papua New Guinean politician who served as the seventh Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 2011 to 2019. From 2002 until the present he served as Member of Parliament for Ialibu-Pan ...

's government at the 2017 election, O'Neill appointed his Cabinet on 9 August 2017.

First O'Neill Cabinet

With Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare having been hospitalised for a serious heart condition, leadership of the nation was vested in Deputy Prime Minister Sam Abal in April 2011. In August, following a Cabinet reshuffle which had led three ministers to join the Opposition, the latter brought a successful

motion of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or m ...

in Abal's government. Parliament chose

to serve as Prime Minister. On 27 February 2012, O'Neill removed the Finance portfolio from

Don Polye Don Pomb Polye (born 1 February 1967) is a Papua New Guinean politician from Enga Province. He has been a Cabinet Minister under two Prime Ministers, and was briefly Deputy Prime Minister from July to December 2010. He has held Foreign Affairs, I ...

, taking it on himself. He cited "the continuing lack of ability by the department and ministry of finance to contain expenditure overruns outside of the budget appropriations". Polye retained the Treasury portfolio, and gained that of Border Development. O'Neill hinted that the Finance ministry would eventually be returned to him, and also hinted at an imminent major Cabinet reshuffle. On 9 August 2012, following a general election, O'Neill announced the following cabinet for the 2012-2017 term: In February 2014, the following reshuffle took place. Police Minister Nixon Duban (MP for Madang, National Congress Party) was reshuffled to the position of Minister of Petroleum and Energy, replacing William Duma (MP for

Mount Hagen Mount Hagen ( tpi, Maun Hagen) is the third largest city in Papua New Guinea, with a population of 46,250. It is the capital of the Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley in central mainland Papua New Guinea, ...

, United Resources Party), who was dropped from the Cabinet; O'Neill suggested that Duma had not adhered to the principle of

Cabinet solidarity Cabinet collective responsibility, also known as collective ministerial responsibility, is a constitutional convention in parliamentary systems that members of the cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if ...

. Robert Atiyafa (MP for Henganofi) was appointed as Minister for Police. David Arore (MP for the Northern Province, T.H.E. Party) was replaced as Minister for Higher Education by

Delilah Gore Delilah Pueka Gore (born 24 June 1962) is a Papua New Guinean politician. She was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2012 to 2017, representing the electorate of Sohe Open. She was Minister for Higher Education, Science, ...

(MP for Sohe, T.H.E. Party), while Nick Kuman (MP for Gumine) was appointed Minister for Education. It was the first time ever that the country's Cabinet included two women: Delilah Gore, and Community Development Minister

(leader of the T.H.E. Party, the second-largest party in the government), and Minister for Industrial Relations

Mark Maipakai Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fin ...

, having accused them of destabilising the government. In August 2014, Community Development Minister

Loujaya Kouza Loujaya Kouza (born 20 July 1966) is a Papua New Guinean politician, poet and singer. She was known under her married name of Loujaya Toni when elected, but reverted to her maiden name in 2013 after divorcing her husband.Delilah Gore Delilah Pueka Gore (born 24 June 1962) is a Papua New Guinean politician. She was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2012 to 2017, representing the electorate of Sohe Open. She was Minister for Higher Education, Science, ...

, who in turn was replaced as Minister for Higher Education by Malakai Tabar. William Duma, ousted from the government in February, was re-admitted, this time as Minister for Transport. In August 2015 Minister for Religion, Youth and Community Development

was suspended for three months without pay after verbally assaulting and threatening a flight attendant who had asked her to turn off her mobile phone on an

Air Niugini Air Niugini Limited is the national airline of Papua New Guinea, based in Air Niugini House on the property of Jacksons International Airport, Port Moresby. It operates a domestic network from Port Moresby to 12 major airports while its subsidi ...

flight. (Gore was removed from the plane as a consequence of her behaviour.) In July 2016, Minister for Petroleum and Energy Ben Micah resigned from the government and joined the Opposition. He was replaced by Nixon Duban, who was in turn replaced as Minister for Transport by Malakai Tabar. Tabar was replaced as Minister for Higher Education by Francis Marus (MP for Talasea), who was promoted from the back benches.

Somare Cabinet 2007-2011

In the 2007 general election, the National Alliance-led government headed by Sir Michael Somare was returned. The first Cabinet of the new government was announced on 29 August 2007. The Cabinet contained 28 ministers. They were assisted by 12 parliamentary secretaries, who were not officially part of the Cabinet. Media comment on the new cabinet focused on the demotion of the previous Deputy Prime Minister

, the relatively low number of

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

MPs in Cabinet, and the potential for conflict of interest in the appointment of Belden Namah, a forest landowner and principal of a company involved in logging in West Sepik Province, as Forestry Minister. The Opposition's shadow ministry was announced on 31 August 2007. On 14 August 2009,

was removed from his position as Member of Parliament, and Minister for Works, Transport & Civil Aviation, when the National Court determined that his victory in the 2007 general election was invalid. The Prime Minister assumed responsibility for Polye's Transport and Works ministries as an interim measure until Polye's by-election is held on 9 November 2009, while Culture and Tourism Minister Charles Abel acquired the Civil Aviation ministerial portfolio. In May 2010, Attorney-General and Justice Minister Allan Marat, leader of the Melanesian Liberal Party, publicly criticised aspects of government policy, and resigned upon being asked to do so by Prime Minister Michael Somare. Ano Pala, National Alliance Party MP for Rigo, was appointed in his place. This was the Cabinet as of February 2011."Papua New Guinea cabinet listing"
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (The list of parliamentary secretaries is also accurate as of February 2011. The list of Shadow Ministers, however, is from September 2007.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabinet Of Papua New Guinea Politics of Papua New Guinea Political organisations based in Papua New Guinea Government of Papua New Guinea *Main