When doing the right thing counts

Integrity is important in addressing corruption in the country, says Internal Revenue Commission commissioner-general Betty Palaso.
She was the guest speaker during the annual Sir Anthony Siaguru Walk Against Corruption in Port Moresby on Sunday.
“Integrity is a quality of possessing high ethical principles of professional standards and keeping these standards consistent throughout all areas of your life,” she said.
“It is summed up as doing the right thing even when no one is looking”
“If people acted with integrity there would be no corruption”
Palaso commended TIPNG for their effort in the fight against corruption
TiPNG chairman Lawrence Stephens said the walk was both a fundraiser for the organisation and a statement about the organisation’s core objective of addressing corruption.
Stephens said the organisation had advanced to address corruption through programmes such as its school advocacy camps.
“If you look around these volunteers here today you will see young people who have come through the youth democracy programme,” Stephens said.
“They have become committed, they are Papua New Guineans, they have committed to making a change, so to that extent, yes our advocacy programme has had an impact.
“Unfortunately we have not seen enough change in the top levels of the country. But there are examples of people becoming more conscious of it”
He said the event in Port Moresby raised about K147,9000.
This was the 12th walk and a total of 165 teams from corporate organisations, civil society organisations, families and schools participated in Port Moresby on Sunday.
The annual Sir Anthony Siaguru Walk Against Corruption was observed in Port Moresby, Lae and Goroka with this year’s theme being “Walk With Integrity”.
This year was also the first time for participants in Goroka.
Social science students at the University of Goroka led by chairman of the organising committee Anton Simuk Simbai led the walk that started at UOG campus before coming onto the streets of Goroka town and ending at the National Day Park near Goroka market.
The team one started at UOG and team two started at Faniufa – the southern fringe of Goroka town coming to West Goroka, joined team one in town before ending at the National Day Park.
Simbai said the aim of Sir Anthony Siaguru Walk Against Corruption was to show opposition to corruption which was endemic in PNG that is killing progress and prosperity.
“We are saying ‘No to Corruption. We become voices of the voiceless majority to speak against corruption,” Simbai said.
““We cannot sit back and watch corruption growing roots in our society.”
Simbai said the Sir Anthony Siaguru Walk Against Corruption was a convenient manner to fight against corruption, a safer and non-violent way to fight corruption in Papua New Guinea.
Meanwhile, Lae MP John Rosso told participants in Lae that a change of attitude was needed to fight corruption.
“You see the crowd is small, spread the word that next year we will walk with you again,” Rosso said.
“We won’t fix everything. We cannot say yes and perform miracle to fix everything but we will try our best to straighten our city.”
dent Anthony Wagambie Jr took