Kwa: ICAC Bill awaiting endorsement

DEPARTMENT of Justice and Attorney-General Secretary Dr Eric Kwa says the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) Bill is with the National Executive Council for their endorsement.
“We are hoping that the ICAC office will be established soon to fight corruption,” Kwa said on Sunday during the Sir Anthony Siaguru Walk Against Corruption in Port Moresby.
“We are ready to fight corruption and Prime Minister James Marape wants to push through the ICAC Bill so I want to say that we have cleared the bill and it is now with NEC and hopefully we will have this organisation to help fight corruption.”
Kwa said the bill was first tabled in 2009.
He said fighting corruption was everyone’s responsibility.
“You always say it is leaders who are corrupt but so is everyone else.”
Kwa said the simple act of not paying the full fare on a bus was a form of corruption.
He further explained that although many people did not consider it a corrupt act taking what was not your, using company equipment, materials and time for personal use was corruption.
He said parents who engaged in theft or the use of company property to benefit themselves and their families was corrupt.
“Those are not your property and using them for personal gain is corruption.”
Kwa said corrupt practices started with the individual and branched to the family, work and in relationships.
“We at the law and justice sector level say ‘take back your family village and community first’. If you cannot make a difference in your village and community then we cannot do it for PNG.”