Letters – Academia Nomad

PNG’s security and economic deals: can it attain both?

Security? Economy? How about economy and security? Think about this: 5 Highlands provinces of PNG produce most of most of PNG’s coffee. 80% of these coffee come from smallholders (households). About 4 million Papua New Guineans are engaged in coffee farming (Care International) In addition to that, about 1 million people are engaged in cocoaContinue reading “PNG’s security and economic deals: can it attain both?”

Australians, and Australian money, gets corrupted in PNG

Australian money, and Australians, get corrupted in PNG. PNG is land of the corrupt. Even Australians who are not corrupt in Australia, engage in corruption when they are in PNG or dealing with PNG. Australian money, when it enters PNG, becomes tainted almost immediately. We’ve seen this with Australian banks accepting corrupt money from PNGContinue reading “Australians, and Australian money, gets corrupted in PNG”

Is there no good men in PNG?

Was it wise to appoint foreign commissioners? The original discussions on ICAC commissioners was that PNG should appoint independent commissioners, who have not connections with PNG. Basically, those who do not have ‘wantoks’ in PNG so that they are not compromised in their work. There were two risks associated this with: The result of emphasisingContinue reading “Is there no good men in PNG?”

PNG MPs made a mistake with Moruata

One day in 1999, PNG politicans made a mistake! PNG MPs decided to go with a prime minister based on integrity, and brains. He played it cool, got in, instituted reforms in less than two years that killed the cash cows MPs relied on. He made important institutions such as Bank of PNG independent. HeContinue reading “PNG MPs made a mistake with Moruata”

Unbroken chain of democracy: 50 years on

I’m working on a paper, looking at possible explanations of how PNG survived as a democracy despite lacking strong democratic principles / prerequisites. Came across Ron May’s book (recommended reading during my first year as a political science student but like most students didn’t read) on the first 25 years of PNG’s independence. The introductionContinue reading “Unbroken chain of democracy: 50 years on”