The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has formally presented the final Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Audit Report of the PNG Civil and Identity Registry following the successful completion of a comprehensive 10-day assessment of the agency’s ICT systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and compliance standards.
The audit was conducted by a team of DICT specialists in ICT compliance, cybersecurity, government cloud services, ICT infrastructure, and data governance. As part of the assessment, the team was granted temporary access to relevant systems to undertake technical reviews and system checks.
The final audit report, approved by DICT Secretary Mr Steven Matainaho, was presented to PNG Civil and Identity Registry Registrar-General Mr Leslie Simon by DICT Acting Deputy Secretary for Digital Government Delivery and Coordination, Mr Jessy Sekere.
On receiving the report Mr Simon commended the DICT team for its professionalism and expertise throughout the audit process.
“Your team has really done a good job. We witnessed a high level of professionalism, and we are very happy to receive this audit report,” Mr Simon said.
Mr Simon said the organisation identified a number of legacy ICT issues after the current management took office earlier this year and sought DICT’s assistance to assess its ICT environment.
“With your expertise, we believe DICT is the right department to assess the situation, identify what is working, what is not working, and provide direction on where we can move forward from here,” he said.
He said one of his key concerns was the age of existing systems and the potential risk of losing critical government data.
“This audit was necessary to help us understand where we stand. It has provided recommendations that will help us strengthen our ICT infrastructure and address long-standing issues, including disaster recovery and core database management,” Mr Simon said.
He added that the PNG Civil and Identity Registry would work towards implementing the audit recommendations and developing proposals to support future ICT improvements.
Mr Simon also highlighted the Government’s direction to accelerate the implementation of electronic identification (e-ID) systems and broader digital transformation initiatives.
“To achieve these goals, we need strong digital trust systems and close collaboration between agencies. This partnership with DICT is an important step in that direction,” he said.
Speaking during the handover, Mr Sekere said the audit report would provide a clear pathway for strengthening the organisation’s ICT environment.
“This report marks a new beginning. It provides a better understanding of the current environment and identifies the next steps needed to strengthen systems and services,” Mr Sekere said.
He commended the leadership of the PNG Civil and Identity Registry for initiating the audit and taking a proactive approach to addressing ICT challenges.
Mr Sekere reaffirmed DICT’s commitment to supporting the organisation beyond the audit process and assisting with the implementation of the recommendations.
“We will continue to work with your team to help implement the recommendations and support ongoing improvements,” he said.
Mr Sekere also stressed the importance of strengthening identity services for all Papua New Guineans, including birth registration and access to identification documents, as part of the country’s digital transformation journey.
“Every citizen should have access to identification services, and we must continue improving these systems as the country develops,” he said.
The audit report is expected to guide future ICT investments and reforms within the PNG Civil and Identity Registry, supporting the Government’s broader digital transformation agenda.