Advocate calls for anti-graft policies

 MOST laws and procedures in the country should be changed because they are not compact enough to prevent corruption, an anti-corruption advocate says.

The president of the Community Coalition Against Corruption (CCAC) Lawrence Stephens said this during an open forum held by Transparency International PNG at the School of Medicine and Health Science yesterday to question the K71 million government medical contract to Borneo Pharmaceutical.

“The government is correct in saying that the awarding of the contract to Borneo Pharmaceuticals was done properly and that they have met all the requirements set up by the Central Supply and Tenders Board (CSTB),” he said.

“But this procedure has made a gap for Borneo to get the contract without meeting the International Standard for Organisation (ISO 9001) which should be mandatory for all the bidders.”

TIPNG believes it should be necessary that even non-manufacturing suppliers must meet the ISO 9001 requirement and that the ISO certification in PNG is not limited to drug manufactures but suppliers as well.