Thursday 16th June 2022, Port Moresby – The fight against corruption in Papua New Guinea can only be successful if each person and organisation takes on the responsibility to strengthen their integrity. These were the sentiments expressed by Transparency International Papua New Guinea (TIPNG) at the launch of the National Economic and Fiscal Commission (NEFC) Anti-Corruption and Integrity Strategy 2022-2025 on Wednesday (15/6/2022).
“If you ask any head of agency in Papua New Guinea as to what is the major impediment to their ability to deliver, they will almost certainly identify corruption as being a concern. And yet, there are almost no agencies that have developed an internal anti-corruption strategy to address this concern. The National Economic Fiscal Commission is one of the few state agencies that has taken on this challenge, with the launch today of their Anti-Corruption and Integrity Strategy 2022-2025, and for that they must be applauded,” said Peter Aitsi, TIPNG Board Chair, in a media statement.
The NEFC is established under the Constitution and defined under Section 117 of the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local-level Governments. The Commission’s overarching role is to advice the national government on economic and fiscal matters. In the launched Anti-Corruption strategy, NEFC has a strategic vision to be a leading institution built on integrity, professionalism and accountability that promotes an anti- corruption culture to ensure fair and equitable distribution of wealth to all Papua New Guineans.
The objectives of NEFC’s Anti-Corruption & Integrity Strategy are based on four (4) key focused areas:
1. Strengthening & mainstreaming intergovernmental funding systems
2. Ensuring accountability, transparency, and compliance
3. Promoting effective anti-corruption leadership and practices
4. Fostering an anti-corruption culture
TIPNG signed a memorandum of understanding with the NEFC on 7th September 2021 to develop an agency-level anti-corruption strategy. This initiative is part of TIPNG’s Promoting Anti-Corruption and Integrity Strategies (PAIS) Project funded by the European Union to strengthen public trust in national integrity institutions.
