CORRUPTION UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
Island Business
The most talked about issue in Papua New Guinea is corruption and how it is eating away at the fabric of a country that is often described by its political leaders as “the land of milk and honey” and “the land of plenty”.
It is as if Papua New Guinea is a “promised land” with a people promised to inherit wealth of unprecedented proportions in the Pacific region.
The reality, of course, is this “land of milk and honey” and “the land of plenty” is seeing an alarming rise in poverty among its increasing urban population and a shameful denial of basic services to 80 percent of its people who live in the rural areas of the Highlands, the coastline, swamplands and the islands.
It is a land with a growing youthful population that is crying for employment with no success-a land that is seeing many of its young men turning to crime for survival.
Everyone says the reason for the decline in wealth and services to the ordinary people of PNG is due to the increasing level of corruption mainly in politics, public service and, some sections of business.
The evidence already coming to light before the “on again, off again” commission of inquiry into the misuse, abuse and theft of millions of kina in public funds from the State cash register at the Department of Finance is just one example of the extent of corruption that is being seen in PNG today.
But the rot runs far deeper than that and it is alleged that it extends to most major national government departments and provincial administrations.
This does not only involve cash but also involves government properties and assets as well. The illegal use of government assets and thefts of state properties are common topics of discussions.
It is against this background that the Divine Word University decided to organise a seminar to bring the issue to a head and discuss how the nation could best deal with the problem-or rather the crisis.
PNG Leader of the Opposition Sir Mekere Morauta, one of the strong advocates of the fight against corruption, described it as “Corruption: Plenty Talk, Little Action”.
In an address to the conference, Sir Mekere said: “I come from a country where corruption and patronage have become firmly entrenched and institutionalised. Bribery, kickbacks, conflicts of interest, vote-buying, and rewards for personal loyalty have become the norm in many public institutions. Senior civil service, military and police positions have become available for purchase. It is a system in which the “crooked” float to the top and the “clean” find themselves weighed down at the bottom.
“Young people with ideals for contributing to the development of society very soon become disillusioned after entering government service. They find it difficult to avoid taking sides in battles between various parties competing for power and influence and to avoid getting sucked into the corruption process.
“At the very least, they are pressured into turning a blind eye to the unethical practices going on around them.”
Does this sound familiar? The quote comes from a Thai politician, speaking at the First World Ethics Forum held in Oxford in 2006. But it could well have been me or any other Papua New Guinean describing our own country.
He spoke of his own experience 14 years ago when he was forced to resign as Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea.
At that time, he detected that something had gone wrong. “I certainly had done nothing wrong, improper or against the interests of the bank or the country. It signified political intrusion into an independent institution of the state. It signified the politicisation of appointments. It signified increasing patronage and nepotism.
“I detected serious signs of wear and tear and the weakening of structures and processes of government. Already a culture of political domination of all aspects of the state was developing, undermining the efficiency and profitability of state enterprises and on the functioning of important institutions of the state whose independence formed a basic pillar of good governance.”
He told a journalist that at the time he feared that if attention was not given to repairing the wear and tear, to strengthening weaknesses in the system and machinery of government, corruption would have a fertile ground to flourish. It would become systemic, and systematic.
“What I predicted has happened. A culture of corruption is now entrenched, and has permeated nearly all aspects of the public sector and, to some degree, business. Corruption and patronage have become institutionalised. They have even been legalised. Every day we hear about corruption. Every day we talk about it.
Every day we see and hear of leaders and businesses getting away with it. We see Commissions of Inquiry set up, but nothing comes of their recommendations. We could fill a whole prison with people recommended for prosecution in the various Commissions of Inquiry over the last twenty years, but which of those people has actually been prosecuted, let alone gone to jail? A few politicians have been thrown out of office for breaches of the Leadership Code, but that’s basically it.
“You don’t need to look far to see corruption, whether it is right at the top, or at the very bottom. It takes many forms: commissions and bribes, whether millions on Government road contracts or a hundred kina to sell your stationery to a purchasing officer in a government department or company; bribes to politicians and board members for forestry and fishing licences; K50 to a policeman on the road when your safety sticker has expired; K100 to a Telikom technician to fix your phone line; constant overseas travel by a politician with not one toea of travel advance acquitted; over-invoicing, kick-backs on supply of equipment and services to companies but more often to government departments and state enterprises; bogus claims to the Government for payment of goods or services never received, which even then, along with legitimate claims, apparently require bribes of large proportion to officers in the Department of Finance to have paid.
“Corruption takes the form of conflicts of interest, for example politicians, public servants, board members or company executives failing to declare their personal interests in contracts or deals being decided on or in appointments being made.
“It takes the form of interference in decision-making, in neglect of due process and lack of prosecution for breaches of the law. It takes the form of running to the courts to prevent institutions like the Ombudsman Commission from carrying out its constitutional role and duty or to challenge the legality of the Defence Board of Inquiry. Leaders are increasingly using the judicial system as a way of diverting public scrutiny of their actions-an extremely unhealthy trend.”
Sir Mekere also questioned why the agencies responsible for the enforcement of PNG laws have not taken action on the recommendations of the Moti Report.
Little action: “The report clearly set out laws that were broken as part of Motigate—from the Prime Minister down to the hapless pilots tasked to fly the plane which at the time was not airworthy. A myriad of laws were broken in this clandestine military operation which effectively resulted in the invasion of a foreign country—the constitution, customs, migration and civil aviation laws, and the Leadership Code.
Other criminal offences committed included conspiracy, perversion of the course of justice, contempt of court, and perjury. What has happened? Who has stepped aside to allow for investigation until their names are cleared or otherwise? Who has been prosecuted?”
He also raised the issue of the Taiwan cash for recognition scandal which remains still to be answered by the Somare Government.
“Examples abound. Everywhere, every day, everyone talks about corruption, but there is little action. The public is becoming increasingly cynical about the fact of corruption—an air of national fatigue has set in.
“But this only gives encouragement to the practitioners of corruption. If we ignore the problem now, it will get much worse, and could destroy our country,” Sir Mekere said.
The most talked about issue in Papua New Guinea is corruption and how it is eating away at the fabric of a country that is often described by its political leaders as “the land of milk and honey” and “the land of plenty”.
It is as if Papua New Guinea is a “promised land” with a people promised to inherit wealth of unprecedented proportions in the Pacific region.
The reality, of course, is this “land of milk and honey” and “the land of plenty” is seeing an alarming rise in poverty among its increasing urban population and a shameful denial of basic services to 80 percent of its people who live in the rural areas of the Highlands, the coastline, swamplands and the islands.
It is a land with a growing youthful population that is crying for employment with no success-a land that is seeing many of its young men turning to crime for survival.
Everyone says the reason for the decline in wealth and services to the ordinary people of PNG is due to the increasing level of corruption mainly in politics, public service and, some sections of business.
The evidence already coming to light before the “on again, off again” commission of inquiry into the misuse, abuse and theft of millions of kina in public funds from the State cash register at the Department of Finance is just one example of the extent of corruption that is being seen in PNG today.
But the rot runs far deeper than that and it is alleged that it extends to most major national government departments and provincial administrations.
This does not only involve cash but also involves government properties and assets as well. The illegal use of government assets and thefts of state properties are common topics of discussions.
It is against this background that the Divine Word University decided to organise a seminar to bring the issue to a head and discuss how the nation could best deal with the problem-or rather the crisis.
PNG Leader of the Opposition Sir Mekere Morauta, one of the strong advocates of the fight against corruption, described it as “Corruption: Plenty Talk, Little Action”.
In an address to the conference, Sir Mekere said: “I come from a country where corruption and patronage have become firmly entrenched and institutionalised. Bribery, kickbacks, conflicts of interest, vote-buying, and rewards for personal loyalty have become the norm in many public institutions. Senior civil service, military and police positions have become available for purchase. It is a system in which the “crooked” float to the top and the “clean” find themselves weighed down at the bottom.
“Young people with ideals for contributing to the development of society very soon become disillusioned after entering government service. They find it difficult to avoid taking sides in battles between various parties competing for power and influence and to avoid getting sucked into the corruption process.
“At the very least, they are pressured into turning a blind eye to the unethical practices going on around them.”
Does this sound familiar? The quote comes from a Thai politician, speaking at the First World Ethics Forum held in Oxford in 2006. But it could well have been me or any other Papua New Guinean describing our own country.
He spoke of his own experience 14 years ago when he was forced to resign as Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea.
At that time, he detected that something had gone wrong. “I certainly had done nothing wrong, improper or against the interests of the bank or the country. It signified political intrusion into an independent institution of the state. It signified the politicisation of appointments. It signified increasing patronage and nepotism.
“I detected serious signs of wear and tear and the weakening of structures and processes of government. Already a culture of political domination of all aspects of the state was developing, undermining the efficiency and profitability of state enterprises and on the functioning of important institutions of the state whose independence formed a basic pillar of good governance.”
He told a journalist that at the time he feared that if attention was not given to repairing the wear and tear, to strengthening weaknesses in the system and machinery of government, corruption would have a fertile ground to flourish. It would become systemic, and systematic.
“What I predicted has happened. A culture of corruption is now entrenched, and has permeated nearly all aspects of the public sector and, to some degree, business. Corruption and patronage have become institutionalised. They have even been legalised. Every day we hear about corruption. Every day we talk about it.
Every day we see and hear of leaders and businesses getting away with it. We see Commissions of Inquiry set up, but nothing comes of their recommendations. We could fill a whole prison with people recommended for prosecution in the various Commissions of Inquiry over the last twenty years, but which of those people has actually been prosecuted, let alone gone to jail? A few politicians have been thrown out of office for breaches of the Leadership Code, but that’s basically it.
“You don’t need to look far to see corruption, whether it is right at the top, or at the very bottom. It takes many forms: commissions and bribes, whether millions on Government road contracts or a hundred kina to sell your stationery to a purchasing officer in a government department or company; bribes to politicians and board members for forestry and fishing licences; K50 to a policeman on the road when your safety sticker has expired; K100 to a Telikom technician to fix your phone line; constant overseas travel by a politician with not one toea of travel advance acquitted; over-invoicing, kick-backs on supply of equipment and services to companies but more often to government departments and state enterprises; bogus claims to the Government for payment of goods or services never received, which even then, along with legitimate claims, apparently require bribes of large proportion to officers in the Department of Finance to have paid.
“Corruption takes the form of conflicts of interest, for example politicians, public servants, board members or company executives failing to declare their personal interests in contracts or deals being decided on or in appointments being made.
“It takes the form of interference in decision-making, in neglect of due process and lack of prosecution for breaches of the law. It takes the form of running to the courts to prevent institutions like the Ombudsman Commission from carrying out its constitutional role and duty or to challenge the legality of the Defence Board of Inquiry. Leaders are increasingly using the judicial system as a way of diverting public scrutiny of their actions-an extremely unhealthy trend.”
Sir Mekere also questioned why the agencies responsible for the enforcement of PNG laws have not taken action on the recommendations of the Moti Report.
Little action: “The report clearly set out laws that were broken as part of Motigate—from the Prime Minister down to the hapless pilots tasked to fly the plane which at the time was not airworthy. A myriad of laws were broken in this clandestine military operation which effectively resulted in the invasion of a foreign country—the constitution, customs, migration and civil aviation laws, and the Leadership Code.
Other criminal offences committed included conspiracy, perversion of the course of justice, contempt of court, and perjury. What has happened? Who has stepped aside to allow for investigation until their names are cleared or otherwise? Who has been prosecuted?”
He also raised the issue of the Taiwan cash for recognition scandal which remains still to be answered by the Somare Government.
“Examples abound. Everywhere, every day, everyone talks about corruption, but there is little action. The public is becoming increasingly cynical about the fact of corruption—an air of national fatigue has set in.
“But this only gives encouragement to the practitioners of corruption. If we ignore the problem now, it will get much worse, and could destroy our country,” Sir Mekere said.
Comments
Post a Comment
Please free to leave comments.