Parliament turned into trading house

 DSIP and PSIP funds have effectively crippled the Parliament and reduced it to an ordinary house. 

The respect that Parliament once had during the 1970s and 1980s where we had real leaders who spoke without fear or favour for the collective interest of the country is gone.

These were the times when leaders placed the interest of the country and people before themselves. 

Issues of legislations to address critical development agendas of national interest took center stage and brought Parliament to live as our new democracy got down to the business of making laws to govern the country. 

There was no DSIP and PSIP and the bureaucracy responded and functioned effectively to meet Parliament’s expectations. 

And Speakers during those times knew their jobs and performed with distinction, allowing the Government and the Opposition to engage in constructive debates and discussions on all matters of national interest. 

No issue was less important that time as leaders felt that compulsory sense of duty not only to their electorate or province but to the whole country. 

Looking back, I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that these were the days when leaders carried the heart of a servant and believed in building the citizens to live a better life into the future of this great country. 

Unfortunately, politics took a paradigm shift where Parliament started seeing ordinary characters entering with leadership mandate. 

National interest went under the carpet and Parliament turned into an ordinary house where elected MPs gambled among themselves with the key objective of enriching themselves. 

Parliament became a trading house where trivial politics took centre stage. 

MPs are very busy managing the DSIP and PSIP funds throughout their terms that they completely forgot their parliamentary duties. 

History reveals that most of the DSIP and PSIP funds ended up in their cronies’ accounts by way of projects awarded or are spent on things that are personal to the MPs and their supporters. 

With no proper monitoring and evaluation of the use of DSIP and PSIP funds, it is obvious that most of these funds ended up outside their intended purposes. 

We have a bureaucracy that has the capacity to function competently in driving and delivering government policies and it must take carriage of all funds allocated under both DSIP and PSIP unlike now. 

In doing so it will relieve the MPs from their current roles as project coordinators, fund managers, accountants, bankers and many other responsibilities they oversee in the administration and management of these funds. 

The MPs must concentrate in thinking for the country and focus on making laws and changing laws to suit the changes that PNG is going through. They must spend time to read, research, analyse and study changes happening around the world and within the region inorder to enlighten the Parliament to be conscious and sensitive to these happenings and how best to align and advance the country. 

In doing so MPs will ensure by legislation that their decisions are effectively carried out by the bureaucracy and the implementing agencies function effectively and efficiently. 

Tough penalties must be imposed on the bureaucracy to act as a deterrent in discouraging corruption. Any MPs, including ministers, who are found to be linked with the bureaucracy in any manner that smells corruption must be dismissed in the normal court. 

That means the Leadership Tribunal, which is unnecessary and costly, must be dissolved. 

MPs must not be given any form of discretionary funds above K200,000 per year and can access to these funds held by trusts through use of Credit/VISA Cards for accountability purposes with restrictions. 

Let all money matters for development handled by the bureaucracy and MPs stick to performing their job as full time legislators. 

We started off well then took a turn that is now threatening our democracy because our legislation makes our MPs the money bosses and implementing agencies. 

If we do not do away with DSIP and PSIP this country is doomed and the writing is already on the wall. 

Samson Wena

Kerowagi, Chimbu