Develop good policies, stop handout system

The National Letters

HANDOUTS of goods and services takes place in many different forms, for various social, economic and political reasons.
It has been part of us since Independence in 1975.
This results in extensive negative social, economic and political impacts.
The slush fund budget is the oldest known handout policy in PNG.
In 2007, it was converted into provincial services improvement programme (PSIP) and district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds, collectively called SIPS.
Funds allocated under SIPS or slush fund budget are controlled and spent by politicians in the name of development in their electorates.
For the MPs and the people of their electorates, this handout does not involve risks or sweat.
The Government has introduced the free education policy, which is not guided by a sound policy.
The higher education loan programme has been added to this policy.
Again, this is another form of a handout for political benefits.
It is not a development policy.
With the introduction and increased usage of mobile phones, the free education policy has become a serious nightmare for development in PNG.
Phone addiction has made people and students become physically and intellectually weak and lazy.
This has serious adverse development implications for this country, including:

  • INTELLECTUAL capacity development has been grossly undermined, with substandard intellectuals all over the country;
  • PEOPLE have become so lazy that many are migrating to towns and cities;
  • TOWNS and cities are experiencing increase in crime and other social problems, resulting in never-ending evictions and court cases; and,
  • THE production and export of cash crops such as coffee, cocoa, copra have significantly declined, resulting in serious foreign exchange and tax revenue problems PNG is facing at present.

PNG now faces a bleak and uncertain future.
How will the country get out of these problems and the uncertainty?
The answer is good visionary and accountable leadership and the abolishment of any form of handouts.
These will empower and make people work hard to live better lives.

Concerned Economist