TALKS between Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd should include open and frank discussion about the growing lack of good governance in Papua New Guinea, Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta said yesterday
Sir Mekere noted that Mr Rudd would be making his first official visit to Papua New Guinea as prime minister of Australia at a time when there was growing public concern about the siphoning off of millions of kina of public funds through institutionalised corruption.
“There is no secret about the accountability and governance problems we have,” Sir Mekere said.
“It is common knowledge that corruption in the public sector has thrived in recent years. Only a few weeks ago, the Minister for National Planning publicly admitted that a syndicate operating within his department had been illegally and corruptly paying out millions of kina.
“The Public Accounts Committee has estimated that billions, not millions of kina, have been misallocated, abused or stolen in the last five years,” he said.
“Currently there are a number of controversies either before the courts or being investigated. They include the Motigate affair, probes into Finance, Treasury and Planning, the National Housing Corporation, the Health Department and the National AIDS Council.
“In addition, the recommendations of the Singirok Guns Committee, the findings of the inquiries into the Investment Corporation/Pacific Balance Fund and NPF are yet to be acted upon,” he said.
“We must stop trying to sweep all these issues under the carpet and address them,” Sir Mekere said.
“Australia is not only our closest neighbour, it is our largest donor, providing hundreds of millions of kina in grants each year.
“It is naturally in their interest to know that these funds are properly spent.”
“It will be regrettable if Sir Michael fails to openly discuss these problems with Mr Rudd.”
The Opposition leader also suggested the need for the two prime ministers to revisit the objectives of the PNG-Australia Enhanced Cooperation Programme and to see how technical assistance from Australia could meaningfully be provided.
“Given the high number of push-outs of students after Grade 10, the two leaders also might revisit the seasonal labour concept that former prime minister John Howard fended off with a poor substitute in the concept of the Pacific Technical College.”
Sir Mekere said the National Alliance-led coalition’s second consecutive term in office was a direct result of the political reforms his government initiated and undertook between 1999 and 2002.
“This Government is in its sixth year of continued reign, with the luxury of a resource-led boom. It is an opportune time for the Prime Minister to inform his Australian counterpart of his Government’s record of performance, particularly relating to accountability, transparency, good governance and the rule of law,” he stressed.