Over-reliance on foreign adviser

IT seems PNG is still relying on foreign advi­sers, especially from Australia, in certain departments and line agencies rather than on our people.
In a subtle way, some of the advice can be de­signed to undermine na­tional interests as we are living in an era where economic warfare is rife.
PNG’s economic weakness can be the advisers’ strength if we looked at it from another angle.
Whatever has been done for our people had taken away the stimulus and necessity of doing things for ourselves; we have been subjected to over-guidance and over-governance and the inevitable result was rendering ourselves helpless.
When donors give money, they indirectly control which way and how we go.
Sometimes, not all of them produce results as they can collide with our own plans.
Most of the aid and advice come with their own vested interests.
Yes, some technical advice and aid is needed but we must choose only the best and incorporate them into our own national plans and goals.
In terms of PNG securing mutually beneficial trade partners, our destination is Asia, especially China and the emerging economies.
PNG will gain more from trade relations with these markets than our traditional partners who are quite skeptical of our development.
There is an urgent need to review and cut off some areas in our unbalanced trade with Australia.
We have become a feeder state for Australia supplying it our rich natural resources at the expense of developing our own industry in PNG.
As long as the umbilical cord is not cut off completely, our economic independence is only a dream. 

 
Nationalist
Via email