Corruption is a massive problem in Papua New Guinea. But, despite numerous promises over many years, the government is still delaying the introduction of an Independent Commission Against Corruption.
In the worst cases, corruption costs lives. It can also cost people their health, education, freedom and money. It destroys families and communities, undermines our culture and cause environmental destruction.
It also comes with a huge economic cost, as our short video explains.
A well resourced, permanent and politically independent Commission Against Corruption [ICAC] is desperately needed as the first step towards making our government truely open and accountable.
Yet the government says nothing will be set up until 2022 at the earliest. That is not good enough!
Please sign the petition to demand our Members of Parliament take urgent action to ensure an ICAC is established NOW!
We know this is necessary and achievable, but it won't happen unless WE put the pressure on our government - please sign the petition NOW!
The Police Minister says K2-3 billion in government spending is lost every year through corruption and white collar crime.
That is one reason PNG is ranked in the bottom 20% of all countries for corruption by Transparency International.
The consequences of this corruption are dire with vital services starved of money and mismanagement and abuse rife.
Health and education services are extremely poor and there is limited access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. Communicable diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera are major causes of illness and death.[1] Under-five mortality is 12 times higher than in neighbouring Australia and there are only 51 doctors working outside the capital - an average 1 doctor for every 17,000 people. In Australia the ratio is 1 doctor for every 300 people.[2]
Corruption also undermines governance with laws and proper processes routinely ignored and illegal land deals especially prevalent.[3]
Existing anti-corruption mechanisms have proven to be ineffective and a new body with full powers of investigation and prosecution is urgently needed [4] as the first step to ensuring open and accountable government.
In 2012 and 2017 the newly elected governments promised to establish an ICAC. Prime Minister James Marape has now repeated that same commitment - but his Justice Minister says nothing will be set up until 2022 at the earliest.
That is too late. We need to ensure Parliament does better.
Please sign the petition and demand an ICAC NOW!
FOOTNOTES
[1] http://www.wpro.who.int/countries/png/25PNGpro2011_finaldraft.pdf
[3] https://news.mongabay.com/2014/04/illegal-logging-makes-up-70-percent-of-papua-new-guineas-timber-industry/ and https://pngexposed.wordpress.com/2017/03/23/land-minister-benny-allen-swallowed-up-by-the-sabl-corruption-he-vowed-to-fight/
[4] http://actnowpng.org/blog/blog-entry-why-icac-needed-not-another-fruitless-inquiry