IN an election year, this may sound like a negative and harsh view of the current state of affairs in Papua New Guinea but sometimes we all need a collective wakeup call.
Many, if not all, of the nation’s problems are blamed largely on the decisions our leaders make – after all they are the ones who are steering the ship.
But the responsibility is not entirely theirs because the people are the ones who put them there.
No doubt for some, this maybe a tough spoonful of medicine to swallow but PNG is considered one of the most corrupt nations in the world today and sadly this is a fact we cannot escape from.
We do not need a report or an international classification to tell use all is not well in PNG.

By Petrus GAND

CORRUPTION has affected many of our [Papua New Guinea] universities over the years. Despite enrolling a good number of students on merit, corruption has found a way to thrive in the academic institutions.

Corruption is found in almost every government institution. People pay public servants in exchange for favours and services.

What is happening to PNG? The citizens' national pride is diminishing, causing the people to fail their duty to take ownership and act collectively in every walks of life for the growth of this nation. We are the key to driving the development of our country.

LABELLING the corruption case as the worst of its kind, National Court Judge Theresa Berrigan jailed former National Capital District (NCD) election manager Terence Hetinu the maximum seven years with light labour on Friday.
Hetinu, 51, from Kainantu’s Biteve village in Eastern Highlands, corruptly received K184,300 from Michael Kandiu to influence the outcome of the election for the NCD seat in 2017 general election.
Judge Berrigan said those entrusted with power and authority in public office, at any level of the public service, must be accountable to the people.
“This was corruption of the worst kind, warranting the maximum penalty,” she said.
“This case involved gross breach of trust.
“It should never be forgotten that free and fair elections are the foundation upon which every thriving democracy rests, ensuring that government derives from the will of the people.

PNG’s copy-paste constitution adopted from the British and Australians is still in its colonial form, wielding more powers to the rulers.  Whatsoever the incumbent individuals prefer becomes the final solution.

The PM’s post is typically occupied by a leading party in parliament, while the Ministry cabinets are shared among its affiliated party leaders under a common-understanding. So when the PM wants to ensure its demands are met, a direct call is made to the respective ministries to eventuate its missions. 

The PM remains the chairman to NEC and so calls the shots in every circumstance despite hindrances. The PM, through procedural-protocols, reserves the right to hire and fire whoever that is beneath the atmosphere of the government. This system has proceeded and facilitates the PM to be a systematic dictator.  

By Petrus GAND
Democracy was described by Socrates as a system of governance where business classes overrule. Aristotle also reaffirmed that it was the worst system that could lead to tyranny. With both of the greatest thinkers’ assurance, Plato had already prophesied that in this system the judiciary mechanism will always compromise with the executive and legislative arm, creating more rooms for corruption.  

The finest contributions to mankind endured with its laden-lesions where humanity stood its feet on, although tremendous critics flooded in from various scholars.

A democratic political system should only have two political parties according to the theorists but PNG had overstepped the theoretical principles by having many parties. Perhaps, PNG had lived up to its typical ways by improvising, rather adaptably invented the many party system.

By Anton Polaiap
The buck stops with our leaders for not doing enough. For saying something in public and doing the complete opposite in private. 
A father at home is a leader. He sets the pace for the future. The children see at a tender age and follow throughout their adult life. 
The same father is a community leader. He quadruples the stain on the moral fabrics of society. Society is misled. Society is taken for granted and abused. But the father says it’s ok. He doesn’t take correction very easily to maintain his ‘big man’ stature. He gets violent and contaminates the minds of men, women and children, thereby ultimately giving life to corruption. How then can we fight ourself? Nogat nau. Painim ol arapela lain lo sutim tok. Em asua blo yupla ol pipol. Yupla ino save harim tok. If there is any disobedience, fathers are the worst incomprehensible guilty lot. 
This very same father runs for office and gets elected. Now you know where our problems take root. Corruption is a byproduct of the compromise fathers make on a daily basis. 

​The provincial administrator for East New Britain, Wilson Matava, has been arrested and charged with misappropriation of more than K500,000 intended for the Kokopo Tourism Hub project.
His alleged co-accused is lawyer Tony Waisi, principal of Tony Waisi Lawyers, whose Trust Account was used as what police fraud officers described as a ‘conduit’ for money laundering.
Fraud officers from the National Anti-corruption and Fraud Directorate picked up Matava yesterday morning and took him in for interview and was later arrested and charged accordingly.
Mr Waisi is expected to be interviewed in the coming week.
According to the major incident report prepared by fraud officers, Matava, 51, of Tavui No1, Balanataman LLG, Rabaul in East New Britain Province, is alleged to have dishonestly applied to his own use the sum of K510,770.40.
It is alleged that Matava, while assuming the role as acting Provincial Administrator of East New Britain in 2014, had a legal battle with the former long serving administrator Aquila Tubal over the position.

By Samuel Imbal Aipe
13 November 2021
Ladies and gentlemen, friends and families far and near, let me pronounce this mega successful news for the  benefits of silent majority and for  those concern citizens of this beautiful nation.
The conviction of x- PNG Customs Senior Inspection Officer as published by our daily post courier and National News Paper page 4 and page 6 on the 7th and  8th of November 2021  respectively is a mega news of justice delivery after lengthy three (3) years Criminal Court battle. Convicted Custom Officer deliberately and intentionally involved to import the contraband cigarettes (double happiness cigarettes) at the domestic commercial value of K4.18 million.  That is K2.847 679  million in custom  tariff/state GST . The news of her being criminal  convicted by Waigani National Court by Criminal National presiding Judge Tresa Berrigan  is part of a successful story to end such illegal and gang  practice by syndicate members to  defraud and robbed custom Tariffs / state GST   to  suffered   National Government revenue.

By David Lepi
​
You know how the word 'Kon Man' or more proper 'con man' came into be? 
It's base word is confidence man. A confidence man is a man who persuades people to give him their money or property by lying to them.
Some call them con artists because it is an art and is used by a person (s) with a certain skill set. 
Well Papua New Guinean is not new to 'konman' for we have been swindled a million times. And the reason why we fall prey so easily is because we are a gullible stock of people. Anything seemingly glittering somehow draws our attention.
Just as many Papua New Guineans are starting to realize they have been tricked by professional con artists in some get rich quick scams such as pyramid schemes - U Vistract, Money Rain, Papalain etc -  a dubious project is now peddled through in what they call crowdfunding. 
Crowdfunding is a way to raise money from a large number of people. Large groups of people pool together small individual investments to provide the capital needed to get a company or project off the ground.

By David Lepi  
PM James Marape and Treasurer Ian Ling Stuckey continue their borrowing spree and keep blaming the O'Neill administration for their own misfortunes–in not managing well the country and its economy –is an easy way to outsource responsibility. The government banks on its blame game to sway public opinion yet it cannot see a better way to the rescinding economy and Covid-19 pandemic onslaught. 
This week Stuckey flies to the United Sates to borrow K1.2 billion to fund next year's budget. Likely to further increase the country's debt levels. 
Retrospectively Papua New Guinea's debt acquired since independence up to 2019 - 43 years - stood at K27 billion. In just 3 years of the Marape reign debt jumped to K47 billion and will continue as per the Treasurer's own Mid-Year Fiscal Economic Outlook report.