The National Executive Council (NEC), also known as the Cabinet of Papua New Guinea functions as the decision-making body (on policies and legislation) of the executive branch within the government system of Papua New Guinea. The Prime Minister and Ministers serve as members of the Cabinet.
NEC Office Since April 2025, the Department of the Prime Minister and the Office of the Secretary of the National Executive Council have become two separate entities. Currently, the NEC Office is housed in a new building opposite Parliament on Independence Drive named "Melanesia Haus", after having been located at Sir Manasupe Haus.
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.
The Secretary to the National Executive Council is in charge of the NEC Secretariat.
Current Cabinet James Marape formed a new cabinet on 23 August 2022 after the 2022 Papua New Guinean general election. Six new members of the cabinet were added in a cabinet reshuffle on 18 January 2024. PortfolioMinisterMinister's partyTook officeLeft officePrime Minister TreasurerJames MarapePangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Lands and Physical PlanningJohn RossoPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for AgricultureAiye TambuaPangu Pati23 August 202218 January 2024John BoitoPangu Pati18 January 2024Incumbent Minister Assisting the Prime MinisterIan Ling-StuckeyPangu Pati18 January 2024IncumbentMinister for Bougainville Affairs Minister for the National Gaming Control BoardManasseh MakibaPangu Pati18 January 2024Incumbent Minister for Civil Aviation and TransportWalter SchnaubeltNational Alliance Party23 August 2022IncumbentMinister for CoffeeJoe KuliUnited Resources Party23 August 202218 January 2024William BandoUnited Resources Party18 January 2024IncumbentMinister for Commerce and IndustryHenry AmuliPangu Pati23 August 202218 January 2024Win Bakri DakiPangu Pati18 January 2024IncumbentMinister for Community Development, Youth & ReligionJason PeterUnited Resources Party23 August 2022IncumbentMinister for Correctional ServicesJoe KuliUnited Resources Party18 January 2024IncumbentMinister for Culture and TourismIsi Henry LeonardPangu Pati23 August 2022IncumbentMinister for DefenceWin DakiPangu Pati23 August 202218 January 2024William "Billy" JosephSocial Democratic Party18 January 2024Incumbent Minister for EducationJimmy UguroPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for EnergyKerenga KuaNational Party23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Environmental Conservation and Climate ChangeSimon KilepaUnited Resources Party23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for FinanceRainbo PaitaPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Fisheries and Marine ResourcesJelta WongUnited Resources Party23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Foreign AffairsJustin TkatchenkoPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for ForestsSalio WaipoPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Health & HIV/AIDSDr. Lino TomPeople's Party23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Higher Education and SportsDon PolyeTriumph Heritage Empowerment Party23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Housing and UrbanisationKobby BomareoPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Information and Communications TechnologyTimothy MasiuPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Inter-Government RelationsSoroi EoePangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for International TradeRichard MaruPeople's First Party23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Justice and Attorney GeneralPila NiningiPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Key Constitutional OfficesRichard MasereGreens Party18 January 2024Incumbent Minister for Labour and Industrial RelationsBryan KramerAllegiance Party23 August 202218 January 2024Kessy SawangPeople's First Party18 January 2024Incumbent Minister for LivestockSekie AgisaPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for MiningAno PalaPangu Pati23 August 202218 January 2024Muguwa DiluAdvance PNG18 January 2024Incumbent Minister for National Planning and ImplementationAno PalaPangu Pati18 January 2024Incumbent Minister for Oil PalmFrancis ManekePangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for PetroleumKerenga KuaNational Party23 August 202218 January 2024Jimmy MaladinaPangu Pati18 January 2024Incumbent Minister for PolicePeter Tsiamalili Jr.Pangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Public ServiceJoe SungiPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for State-Owned EnterprisesWilliam DumaUnited Resources Party23 August 2022Incumbent Minister for Works and Highway ImplementationSolan MirisimPangu Pati23 August 2022Incumbent
Past Cabinets
First Marape cabinet Prime Minister James Marape appointed his first cabinet on 7 June 2019. PortfolioMinisterMinister's partyPrime MinisterJames MarapePangu Party Deputy Prime Minister Attorney-General Minister for JusticeDavis StevenUnaffiliated TreasurerIan Ling-StuckeyNational Alliance Party Minister for Foreign Affairs and TradeSoroi EoePeople's National Congress Minister for Finance Minister for Rural DevelopmentCharles AbelOur Development PartyMinister for EducationJoseph YopyyopyMelanesian Alliance PartyMinister for Civil AviationLekwa GureMelanesian Alliance PartyMinister for Commerce Minister for IndustryWera MoriUnaffiliatedMinister for Communication Minister for EnergyRenbo PaitaPangu PartyMinister for Community Development Minister for Youth Minister for ReligionWake GoiPeople's National CongressMinister for Correctional ServicesChris NangoiMelanesian Alliance PartyMinister for Defence Saki SolomaUnaffiliated Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate ChangeJeffery KamaTriumph Heritage Empowerment Party Minister for Fisheries and Marine ResourcesDr Lino TomPangu Party Minister for Bougainville AffairsSir Puka TemuOur Development Party Minister for Health and HIV/AIDSElias KapavorePeople's National Congress Minister for Higher Education Minister for Research Minister for Science and TechnologyNick KumanPeople's National Congress Minister for Housing and Urban DevelopmentJustin TkatchenkoPeople's National Congress Minister for Immigration and Border SecurityPetrus ThomasIndependent Minister for Inter-Government RelationsPila NiningiPeople's National Congress Minister for Labour and Industrial RelationsAlfred ManasePeople's National Congress Minister for Agriculture and LivestockJohn SimonUnaffiliated Minister for Lands and Physical PlanningJohn RossoPangu Party Minister for PetroleumKerenga KuaPNG National Party Minister for PoliceBryan KramerAllegiance Party Minister for State EnterprisesSasindran MuthuvelPeople's National Congress Minister for Public ServiceWestly NukundjPeople's National Congress Minister for Tourism, Arts and CultureEmil TammurPeople's Progress Party Minister for Transport and InfrastructureWilliam SambPangu Party Minister for Works and ImplementationMichael NaliPeople's National Congress Minister for ForestrySolan MirisimPeople's National Congress Minister for National Planning and MonitoringRichard MaruPeople's National Congress Minister for MiningJohnson TukePeople's Progress Party
First reshuffle James Marape announced a cabinet reshuffle on 1 October 2020. PortfolioMinisterMinister's partyPrime Minister Minister for Bougainville AffairsJames MarapePangu Party Deputy Prime Minister Minister for National Planning and MonitoringSam BasilUnited Labour Party Minister for Justice Attorney General Davis Steven People's Party TreasurerIan Ling-StuckeyNational Alliance Party Minister for Foreign Affairs and TradePatrick PruaitchNational Alliance Party Minister for Finance Minister for Rural DevelopmentRainbo PaitaPangu PartyMinister for EducationJoseph YopyyopyMelanesian Alliance PartyMinister for Civil AviationJelta WongUnited Resources PartyMinister for Commerce and IndustryWilliam DumaUnited Resources PartyMinister for Communication and ICTTimothy MasiuNational Alliance PartyMinister for Community Development Minister for Youth Minister for ReligionWake GoiPeople's PartyMinister for Correctional ServicesChris NangoiMelanesian Alliance PartyMinister for Defence Saki SolomaPangu Party Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate ChangeWera MoriPangu Party Minister for Fisheries and Marine ResourcesDr Lino TomPeoples Party Minister for Health and HIV/AIDSSir Puka TemuOur Development Party Minister for Higher Education Minister for Research Minister for Science and TechnologyNick KumanPangu Party Minister for Housing and Urban DevelopmentJustin TkatchenkoSocial Democratic Party Minister for Immigration and Border SecurityWestly NukundjIndependent Minister for Inter-Government RelationsPila NiningiPeople's National Congress Minister for Labour and Industrial RelationsLekwa GureUnited Labour Party Minister for Agriculture and LivestockJohn SimonPangu Party Minister for Lands and Physical PlanningJohn RossoPangu Party Minister for PetroleumKerenga KuaPNG National Party Minister for PoliceBryan KramerAllegiance Party Minister for State EnterprisesSasindran MuthuvelPangu Party Minister for Public ServiceSoroi EoePangu Party Minister for Tourism, Arts and CultureWalter SchnaubeltNational Alliance Minister for Transport and InfrastructureWilliam SambPangu Party Minister for Works and ImplementationMichael NaliPeople's National Congress Minister for ForestrySolan MirisimPangu Party Minister for Energy William Onglo United Resource Party Minister for MiningJohnson TukePeople's Progress Party
Second reshuffle Prime Minister James Marape added nine new ministers to his cabinet on 20 December 2020. PortfolioMinisterMinister's partyTook officeLeft officePrime Minister Minister for Bougainville AffairsJames MarapePangu Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Commerce and IndustrySam BasilUnited Labour Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Minister for Justice Bryan Jared Kramer Allegiance Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Minister for Treasury Ian Ling-Stuckey National Alliance Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Soroi EoePangu Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Minister for Finance Minister for Rural DevelopmentSir John Pundari Liberal20 December 202023 August 2022Minister for EducationJimmy UguroPangu Party20 December 202023 August 2022Minister for Civil AviationSekie AgisaPangu Party20 December 202023 August 2022Minister for Communication and ICTTimothy MasiuNational Alliance Party20 December 202023 August 2022Minister for Community Development Minister for Youth Minister for ReligionWake GoiPeople's Party20 December 202023 August 2022Minister for Correctional ServicesWin DakiPangu Party20 December 202023 August 2022Minister for Defence Solan MirisimPangu Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate ChangeWera MoriPangu Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Minister for Fisheries and Marine ResourcesDr Lino TomPeople's Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Minister for Health and HIV/AIDSJelta WongUnited Resources Party20 December 202023 August 2022 Minister for Higher Education Minister for Research Minister for Science and Technology