PNG rated low

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By SAMUEL BARIASI
PRIME Minister James Marape yesterday vowed to introduce major reform policies and legislation this year to address the country’s continuing low ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
It will include the establishment of the long-awaited Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Whistleblowers Act.
“I announced when I first took office (in May 2019) that ICAC and Whistleblowers Act would be key vessels in reforming our country for the better,” he said.
“The 2020 parliamentary year will be filled with reform legislations that we will bring in.”
According to Transparency International PNG (TIPNG) chairman Peter Aitsi, PNG had shown “little improvement” in its ranking, scoring 28 out 100 and ranked 137 out of 180 countries surveyed.
The CPI measures public sector corruption including bribery, diversion of public funds, use of public office for private gain and nepotism in the civil service.
A higher score indicates better public perception. New Zealand, Denmark and Finland are the least corrupt nations, while Somalia, Sudan and Syria and in the bottom three on the list.
Marape yesterday said ICAC and the Whistleblowers Act had been around for some time and blamed past governments of doing little to have them set up.
He urged Papua New Guineans to report corrupt practices they come across, instead of just talking about it.
“Our legislative structure has provisions for fighting corruption but (people) haven’t been reporting corruption,” he said.
“It is about time we become an army of watchmen on corruption, instead of just talking about it and being a hero on Facebook.
“We should step away from our comfort zones and take the necessary steps to report corruption to relevant authorities.”
Marape said the Whistleblowers Act would protect those who reported corruption, ensuring that those implicated were prosecuted (and) convicted.
“Some people are often maliciously and unfairly labelled as corrupt, so the Act will be balanced.
“It will protect those identifying corruption and also prosecute those who accuse people of corruption,” Marape said.
Aitsi said TIPNG wanted the Government to establish ICAC.
He said PNG had taken steps to address corruption, such as signing global anti-corruption initiatives unlike other countries.
“Having an independent anti-corruption agency like ICAC is not only essential in boosting the effectiveness of NACS (National Anti-Corruption Strategy) but will also allow the effective implementation of the national budget by preventing wastage through corrupt activities.”
He said recent reports had revealed that billions of kina in government revenue had been lost because of corruption.

18 comments

  • Next time the CPI conducts a survey we must make sure that those conducting it receive sufficient bribes to ensure that PNG is ranked the least corrupt country in the world.

  • What about the Task Force Sweep. Keeping SKoim at IRC plus instlaling ICAC and the Whistleblowers Act will not achieve or ignite the desired good change in attitude of leaders toward management of money in the short term or improve CPI

  • Audits reports of public fund misused are not referred to Attorney General and Solicitor Generals Office for recovery action and referred to Police and Public Prosecutorc for criminal prosecutions. Laws should make it mandatory for referral of misuse of public funds in Audit reports be referred to Attorney General, Public Prosecutor and Police for Prosecutions. Auditor General should be given civil prosecution powers as well and leave criminal prosecution powers to the Police and the Public Prosecutor.

  • Good to see the correct steps in corruption being address, but just hurry up and get it started.
    The sooner the better. Like you said it was one of your key items when you came into government , and 9 months has slipped away already.

  • Millions of money wasted for investigation and no development.waste of time and money.what ever is gone is gone, start up with new plan and kick of.

  • Our pollies have paid so much lip service to battling corruption in this country for far too long. No one it seems has the balls to grab it by the horn and do something concrete and telling. It would seem to me our pollies are complicit in this corruption culture thereby rendering them unable or unwilling to introduce and install the necessary tools and mechanisms required to fight corruption in case they get caught up in the web that will be woven.

  • Corruption occurs at different levels in many perspectives. perpetrators are skilled in devising dubious ways to gain services, material goods, office or cash. It can be group organized or bare individuals to gain something favorable to their desire. Politicians and Top bureaucrats should be put behind bars that should serve warnings downstream. Till now there has been scratching the surface only and corruption roots are still embedded. Until the wantok system and favoritism are weeded corruption will continue. Corruption will not be stopped but reduced. Devise ways to reduce Corruption

  • Waste of time talking about weeding corruption. We can try all the means but nothing good will happen. Corruption is here to stay and countries like PNG where every Papua New Guineans are tied and linked to the system of tribesmen,clansmen tambu kandre and list goes on. Lets not waste tax payers money on unworkable programmes.

  • There is more than enough documentation of corruption out in the mass media like Pngblog etc that provide detail information of corruption conducted by people in public and private sectors who are still walking free today. Why dont the PM activate the Sweep Task Force or beef up the police fraud squad with resources to investigate on all these cases.

  • Just waste of time & money. Corruption is deep rooted and is here to stay no matter what means & controls you put in. Its all happening in the village and into the cities from small trade stores to large multibillion kina corporate and government agencies.
    GOD PLEASE SAVE PNG

  • Taking back PNG is finishing corruption. Two areas we can start, current government must introduce measures for fair 2022 elections. Second the policeman and women must do their job well. Do not take brides, don’t practice wantok system etc.

  • We must not start shooting fingers. We cannot sit back and say leaders, police, army etc you do this and that and so on and so forth. taking back PNG starts with each one of us. Just ask yourself this question ” What can I to do to contribute to taking PNG back?”. Just imagine if everyone asks this questions and do little in their own workplace, village,settlements, offices etc… I don’t think PNG will be where it is today. We are good at pointing fingers to the big things not done right and we ourselves doing little things like throwing rubbish unnecessarily all over the place making our towns very eyesore to the outside world. Let us all “think big and start small” think globally and do the little things that you could do in your capacity to rid corruption and take back PNG.

  • OK. Keep moving. But don’t waste money on digging old rotten long time happenings. Let’s forget and start something new to talk back PNG.

  • I totally agree with Joel H Tahie.. Regarding rubbish. Chinese saying that goes; disposing of rubbish at the right place is one step forward cleanliness and a step ahead of industrialization in economy.

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