Corruption a PNG disease

THERE is a relatively large body of evidence that demonstrates the direct relationship between good governance and development.
The healthier a country does in measures of good governance, the better it does in terms of development.
It stands to reason that if money and resources are siphoned off to low-priority areas, being badly spent and badly administered, or being awarded to contractors who are not qualified or who do not win the job in an open tender, the State is going to get less than the best possible result.
Today’s leaders should seriously be concerned about the issues of good governance, the deterioration of public infrastructure PNG-wide, the breakdown in law and order and open defiance to the rule of law as well as the neglected but necessary capacity building needed for the delivery of rudimentary services to the populace.
The wealth received from gold, oil and copper exports, and others running into billions of kina over the past few years should have put PNG in an excellent position, but to date there has been no indication of that happening.
The wealth is not trickling down to the bulk of the masses.
There’s no improvement in their lives, compounded by the appalling lack of services over the years. There is an obvious lack of competent political leadership and commitment over the past few years to combat the impediments that have congested PNG’s way in laying a solid foundation for the prosperity of future generations.
The political and administrative elite have so far failed to deal with widespread corruption that is becoming a major destroyer of our future progress, notwithstanding the exceptional effort of some anti-corruption organisations.
Our leaders have paid only lip service to the battle against corruption.
Efforts to deal with corruption through the political process have been almost non-existent with only paper-thin commitments to meet those serious matters head on.
The simple question is who will enthusiastically fight corruption if all citizens, both leaders and followers, have been infected by the disease.

Eric MumsonPiuk
Pom