Government and Open Members must engage and empower Local Level Governments.
By DERRICK NAGUL Sadly despite positive economic growth rates over the last decade, PNG’s social indicators are among the worst in the Asia Pacific. The majority of PNG’s mainly rural population remain poor and an estimated 18 per cent are extremely poor. Many lack access to basic services or transport. Civil utilities have been allowed to deteriorate to a shameful level. Poverty, unemployment and poor governance contribute to serious law and order problems. Improving the lives of poor people and promoting stability is claimed to be the central part of the government interests but the tangible signs of that are very far from being realized. The government’s should aggressively pursue: Eradicate Poverty: Around 40% of PNG’s population lives in poverty and 85% of the population live in rural or remote areas with inadequate access to health care and employment. Increase Education Participation: Estimated that half the adult population cannot read and over 500,000 kids aged 6-12 do not go