The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has concluded its second Strategic Government Repositioning Workshop in Arawa last week, with a strong focus on turning government priorities into measurable outcomes ahead of 1 September 2027. 

Opening the workshop, ABG President His Excellency, Ishmael Toroama, said the political direction towards self-government was clear and the focus must now shift from planning to delivery. 

“Today, we are not here to discuss what government should do, but rather, what government must now deliver.”

President Toroama called on Ministers, Heads of Departments and the public service to take ownership of specific deliverables and ensure progress was measured by tangible results—not simply activities, meetings or consultations.

“Our objective is therefore to move from planning to execution, from intention to delivery, and from activity to results.” 

He said the focus must be on outcomes including legislation enacted, institutions established or strengthened, powers transferred and operationalised, revenue streams secured, systems made functional and services improved. 

President Toroama said that 1 September 2027 was a fixed political and administrative deadline, requiring government to work with urgency, coordination and accountability.

“The time for repositioning through words is passing. The time for repositioning through delivery has arrived.” 

He said the Government must be able to demonstrate, by the time it reaches 1 September 2027, that it had prepared, delivered, and taken responsibility for Bougainville’s future. 

“We have one year to demonstrate what we are capable of building. Let us use that year wisely.” 

The ABG Vice President Hon. Ezekiel Masatt, provided a political update on Bougainville’s independence agenda, outlining three strategies of Bougainville gaining its independence: firstly, through the ratification process as contained under the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA), the Bougainville Constituent Assembly/constitution-making process, and international lobbying. 

He said the preferred pathway through the BPA ratification process had been ‘endangered’, reinforcing the need for the strategic repositioning of the ABG machinery.

“The President has presented the Final Bougainville Position – that position is non-negotiable,” he said.  

He called for all sectors to align their work with the timeline of the Final Bougainville Position. 

ABG Chief Secretary said the workshop was an opportunity for departments and agencies to demonstrate what they had delivered since the first repositioning workshop in July this year. 

“We are here to show what were the tangible outcomes that were delivered over the last two months.”

He said the focus was on repositioning the public administration towards practical and tangible outcomes in line with the Government’s priorities for self-government