Stop duplicating, hijacking systems

WE are a country of “duplication and hijack”.
We make laws and policies but we corrupt them.
We then make new ones and continue to make new ones.
All of that points to nothing.
It takes us back in the entrapment and vicious circle of poverty.
That has been our pathway since the second half of our 45-year journey.
Last week, I watched the creation of the new Road Fund Authority (RFA) and swearing-in of the board members comprising selected departmental heads to be chaired by Finance secretary Dr Ken Ngangan.
Works Minister Michael Nali says we have in total 34,000 kilometres of road in Papua New Guinea that are deteriorating and need funding hence, the need for the Road Fund Authority.
How true is that?
What baffles me is that we already have the Motor Vehicle Insurance Ltd, Road Transport Authority and National Road Authority, which are road-related money-making bodies.
Road users have paid for services in millions, if not, in billions over time.
The Department of Transport and Department of Works get annual funding for road maintenance and upgrade.
The Department of Transport gets funding for sea and rural airstrips as well.
We borrowed billions of kina in the name of fixing the Highlands Highway and other national highways and we still haven’t got one road fixed.
Where did the money go?
Do we really need another milking cow body?
Haven’t we learnt anything from the bad experiences?
What guarantee for the better does the Road Fund Authority bring?
Earlier that day, the executive chairman of the National Gas Corporation Ltd Alfred Kaiabe hosted a media conference pivotal to the survival of the corporation because of the proposed introduction of a new organic law, a new petroleum authority and a new national energy authority bill that would duplicate and hijack the mandated functions of the National Gas Corporation Ltd.
How could they allow such a proposed law to directly encroach on mandatory provisions of an existing law?
Stop this insanity.
Get out of this cult of duplication and hijack.

Cyril Gare, Via email