Corruption and growth

THERE is a large body of evidence that shows 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. This stands to reason; if money and resources are siphoned off to low-priority areas, being badly spent or badly administered, or being awarded to constructors that are not qualified or have not won the contract through an open tender process, then the State is not going to get the best outcome.
Today’s leaders should be seriously concerned about the issues with good governance, the deterioration of public infrastructure countrywide, the breakdown in law and order in open defiance of the rule of law, and the neglected but necessary capacity building needed for the delivery of services to the populaces.
The wealth received from gold, oil and copper exports, and others worth billions kina over the past few years alone should have been driving PNG forward into a better place. But to date there is no indication of that happening.
The wealth is not trickling down to the bulk of the masses.
Efforts to deal with corruption through the political process have been almost non-existent, with only paper-thin commitment.
The simple question is who will fight corruption if all citizens, both leaders and followers, have been infected with the disease of corruption.

Eric Mumson Piuk