Integrity in government and institutions a must

The recent drama in government and its various institutions have included allegations, suspensions, and what seems to be a lack of knowledge or plain ignorance of systems and due process. This drama has made a mockery of important national institutions such as the Royal PNG Constabulary, National Museum and Art Gallery, Southern Highlands Provincial Government, National Housing Commission, and Finance Department. Transparency International PNG has watched this drama unfold with much concern.

Among the scenes of this drama;

1. Allegations that the then Police Commissioner Sam Inguba attempted to pervert the course of justice in a K4 million fraud case involving the Finance Department.
2. Allegations that the above allegations were untrue and that people with vested interests in Parliament and the Royal PNG Constabulary had collaborated with the prime suspects in various on-going fraud investigations and had conveniently distorted the facts to discredit Mr Inguba and the police.
3. The suspended director of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Squad Chief Superintendent Awan Sete has been committed to stand trial in the National Court on official corruption charges – allegations of abusing his office and failing to report to his superior’s gifts given to him.
4. Allegations that the Acting Director of the National Museum and Art Gallery engineered forged documents to get an aircraft war wreck salvaged and shipped out of the country.
5. The State of Emergency in the Southern Highlands and the alleged misuse of funds by that province’s Governor, Hami Yawari.
6. Allegations of corruption at the National Housing Corruption (NHC) by the Housing Minister Andrew Kumbakor. The suspension of the Managing Director Paul Asukusa, and the following court action – court order by the Mr Asukusa restraining the newly appointed Acting Managing Director Philip Kikala etc.
7. The problem at the Finance Department. The removal of National Executive Council (NEC) Finance Secretary Gabriel Yer, and National Planning and Monitoring Secretary Valentine Kambori, and Acting Administrator of Southern Highlands William Powi by Public Service Minister Sinai Brown. Removals that the NEC had not endorsed. The subsequent revoking of appointments made by Mr Brown by Acting Prime Minister Don Polye, and the stripping Mr Brown of his portfolio.

It is no surprise that PNG ranked poorly in the World Bank report The New Governance Matters 2006: Worldwide Governance Indicators on global governance indicators launched last Friday. PNG has low percentile rankings of between 13-24 for political stability (and absence of violence), government effectiveness, regulatory control, rule of law and control of corruption.

A simple definition of governance is how our leaders work with us to make things happen. Good governance then respects our rights and upholds the law which applies to everyone, regardless of status and money. The country’s resources should be used for the benefit of all.

But many people in this country did not need a report to tell us that PNG has a low good governance ranking. It shows in our bad roads and bridges that make it hard for our people in the rural areas to get to town to market our produce, hospitals and health centers with no proper facilities and medicine, in some of our schools where the students outnumber teachers and each child cannot get the attention he or she should. And it is clear in the current drama being played out, the chaos in government and its institutions.

The controversy over appointments especially, such as that in NHC and the Finance Department, confuses people working in those institutions. Who is in charge? Whose instructions do they follow? As a result service - which is at most times slow enough already - becomes slower, and the public suffer.

The allegations directed lately at top level officers in some of the national institutions does nothing to improve the morale of the people working in those institutions, and the already dwindling confidence many people have in them. Some may argue that allegations are allegations and not proven fact, but perception is very powerful, and leaders must do their best to uphold the integrity of their offices.

All this of course affects political stability. A stability that the current government in 2002 was determined to install at all levels of government. The government was also determined to ensure that all constitutional offices have the independence and capacity to uphold democratic principles and procedures, and to ensure efficient and effective system of delivery of goods and services through a meaningful Public Sector Reform. To ensure that the regulatory process is consistent with the democratic principles and processes, and that transparent and accountable practices are in place at all government levels through both regulatory and non-regulatory measures in an effort to fight corruption. All of these measures were to be taken to improve good governance.

TI PNG thanks the government and institutions for the work it has done so far to do that. There are much lighter scenes in this drama. A lot of good work is being done such as the arrest of an IRC officer alleged to have defrauded the State of K4 million, the National Capital District Commission’s (NCDC) steps to encourage and implement transparency at all levels of operation in the Commission through the NCDC Standard Business Practice For Clients and Contractors And Code Of Conduct And Ethics For Staff And Commissioners, the ratification of the International Convention Against Corruption (ICAC), the work of the Public Accounts Committee and Ombudsman Commission, and other initiatives. But there is much more work to be done and TI PNG will help in whatever way it can.

The people of PNG should at least be pleased that in that World Bank report, voice and accountability which measures political, civil and human rights, we ranked close to the halfway mark of 45. TI PNG encourages the people of PNG to continue to voice their opinion, to keep our government and institutions transparent, accountable, and governing in the best way possible. Only then will a drama deserve an encore.

William Natera
Communications Officer
Transparency International PNG