EMTV NEWS II 19th April 2024
As a priority area of action, Transparency International Chairman and Community Coalition Against Corruption (CCAC) co-Chair, Mr Peter Aitsi emphasized on the matter of greater accountability of public funds distributed through District Services Improvement Program Funding (DSIP) and Public Procurement.
Aitsi said our communities are victims of corrupted procurement and misused of public funds, when our taxes are given to questionable contractors who mismanaged these funds and give us poor quality roads, substandard airports and complete maritime facilities.
“The flow on social impact on the lives of citizens and the additional costs incurred by business is immense,” said Aitsi.
CCAC convened its first steering committee meeting for 2024 this week (Tuesday 16/04/24) at the Holiday Inn Port Moresby to set priority areas of action, which now includes, DSIP and improved accountability of the distribution of Public Funds.
CCAC was reactivated in 2021 and came together last year notably to oppose proposals by the Government to limit media freedom through a contentious policy.
President of the PNG Media Council and CCAC Co-Chair, Nerville Choi said CCAC was concerned at the threatened erosion of citizens constitutional rights by what appeared to be the government bulldozing of policies and laws without proper consultations with our communities.
CCAC is co-chaired by TIPNG and the PNG Media Council. Other members include the Council of Churches, Catholic Bishops Conference, Trade Union Congress, Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights, Advancing PNG: Women Leaders Network, and the Lae Chamber of Commence and Industry.
The committee was appointed following a National Meeting in Lae, Morone Province in April 2023.
The steering committee was tasked with developing a work program that can trigger action to progress the priority areas identified by the Community Coalition Against Corruption in the national meeting.
The CCAC priority areas include;
- Achieving safe, free and fair elections
- Improve Public sector accountability
- Protection of Media Freedoms
- Greater level of transparency and accountability within Public Procurement
- More efficient and transparent administration of land titles
- Improved reporting and more visibility of the use of District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) Funds
Notes:
https://emtv.com.pg/ccac-steering-committee-reaffirms-priority-areas-of-action/
