It is time to stand on our own feet

 WORLD War 1 ended 95 years ago today.

It ended in 1918 at 11am on Nov 11 –the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month of the year. 

This prearranged time – 11/11/11 – ended on the Western Front the slaughter and chaos of a world war that had raged for more than four years. 

Called the Great War, the conflict was so disastrous it was thought to be the “war to end all wars” as it was believed that mankind would not be so foolish as to fall into that abyss again. 

Today marks a significant milestone in Papua New Guinea’s political history as it signalled the end of Germany’s colonial rule in the Pacific and the beginning of Australia’s involvement in the former German territory. However, it was not until after the Treaty of Versailles was signed six months later, on June 28, 1919, that Germany lost all its colonial possessions, including German New Guinea. 

It became the Territory of New Guinea, a League of Nations mandate territory under Australian administration until 1949 (interrupted by Japanese occupation during World War II) when it was merged with the Australian territory of Papua to become the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, which eventually became modern Papua New Guinea on Sept 16, 1975.

Thirty-eight years on, Aus­tralia continues to be heavily involved in Papua New Guinea’s development and growth, pouring millions of dollars into social welfare programmes by main­taining PNG as one of the biggest recipients of its overseas aid assistance. 

Proponents of Australian aid to PNG, which was until recently spearheaded by AusAID, firmly believe that Papua New Guineans are still incapable of managing their social welfare issues and other affairs.

They say that despite positive economic growth rates in recent years, PNG’s social indicators are among the worst in the Asia Pacific regions. 

According to Australia’s De­partment of Foreign Affairs and Trade, “approximately 85 per cent of PNG’s mainly rural population is poor and an estimated 18 per cent of people are extremely poor. Many lack access to basic services or transport. Poverty, unemployment and poor governance contribute to serious law and order problems. Improving the lives of poor people and promoting stability are central to Australia’s interests”.

That is reason enough for Australian aid to be increased to K507.2 million for 2013/14 from K500.7 million in 2012/13.

As it is, Australia’s assistance is directed to four priority areas jointly agreed and reflected in the PNG-Australia Partnership for Development. 

These priority areas are: Education (including higher education); health and HIV/AIDS; law and justice; transport infrastructure. 

These priorities are in line with PNG’s Medium Term Development Plan 2011-2015. Australia continues to support initiatives to strengthen democratic systems and economic and public sector reform at national, provincial and local levels. This support is essential to improved service delivery in the agreed priority sectors. 

Australia promotes gender equality and disability inclusiveness across programmes in PNG. As well, Australia has invested $1.372 million in PNG’s development over the previous three years (2009 to 2012). 

While we appreciate such generosity, our country still needs to grow up and start learning to live within its own means. 

There is little or no doubt that PNG will have the means, especially the cash factor, to fund these social welfare programmes and projects.

With a booming economy, spurred by the full production of its first liquefied natural gas project in 2014/15, PNG will be in pole position to run its own race.

However, we need to manage these programmes and projects as well as or better than the Australians.

Unlike other Pacific Island nations, which will continue to rely on Australian and other foreign aid for a long time, PNG has both the capability and ability to stand on its own feet.

The country is blessed with an abundance of renewable and non-renewable resources as well as its human resources that augur well for the future.

Indeed, it’s time for PNG to start reducing and phasing out Australian aid.