Lack of transparency, conflict of interest top public complaints

By ERIC PIET
Lack of transparency and conflict of interest top Transparency International PNG’s Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre’s list of public complaints.
Public administration and land and property sectors received most complaints. Reports of bribery, blackmail and mismanagement of public funds were also received by Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (Alac) over the two-year period.
These statistics come from TIPNG’s 2016-2018 report was presented on Friday in Port Moresby.
TIPMG chairman Lawrence Stephen said that over 80 per cent of complaints were received from men, majority of whom fell in the age category of 40-50 years.
The report indicated that women, youths, the illiterate and the rural populations had not been able to report corruption due to lack of access to TIPNG’s Port Moresby office, the only one in the country.
“Due to this challenge, we have sought to address a toll-free hotline number 180 6000 so that anyone from across the country can call to seek assistance on how to report corruption.”
Stephen said that in the pursuit of corruption in the country, public sector bodies must develop their internal anti-corruption policy in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy endorsed by the Government, which was in the 2010-2030 Strategy.
TIPNG policy and advocacy manager Yuambari Haihuie said the toll-free number would allow the underrepresented and more-disadvantaged rural population to report corruption and its effects.
“We know that rural populations are underrepresented in this report, but they are far more affected by corruption and their accounts are unheard of,” he said.