An Australian PhD student was conducting research on corruption in PNG and met a group of youths in Port Moresby. After a few exchanges asked them:
“What is the root of corruption?”
One of them pointed to National Parliament building, and said:
“There lies the roots, the stem, the branches, and the leaves of corruption in PNG…”
(the thesis was published as a book titled “Public perceptions of corruption in PNG” by Grant Walton).
Whilst this view is popular among Papua New Guineans, it’s misplaced. The politicians are corrupt, but they are voted by equally corrupt Papua New Guineans.
Democracy is designed in a way “the people” get to decide who gets into parliament. The graph in this article shows that Papua New Guineans, on average, have been replacing 50% of their MPs since independence.
But the problem is this: they remove 50%, and replace them with another cohort of corrupt politicians. The fact that the next 50% voted as replacement continue to abuse and misuse power and money shows that the problem lies not only with the politicans, but the voters.
See “PNG election database” on ANU’s development policy centre for more information
Good voters = good politicians. Corrupt voters = corrupt politicans.
Recent events shows just another example of the decaying state of PNG. A technical glitch resulted in Bank South Pacific crediting accounts on its customers. BSP immediately put out a notice advising customers of the glitch. Despite this notice 30, 000 customers continued to withdraw the excess funds.
The saddest thing of all, is that this happened on Easter weekend. As per the 2011 census, 96% of Papua New Guineans profess to be Christians. Easter is a scared calendar in the Christian world. It’s believer to be the dates Jesus Christ died, and resurrected. His death paved the way for forgiveness of sins. His resurrection demonstrated He defeated sin, hell and grave. Easter is a symbol of hope and redemption. Easter holiday starts on a Friday and ends on Monday. 30, 000 Papua New Guineans used the most holy of days to conduct a nationwide theft.
A more troubling issue is that portions of the educated population and Christians continue to blame BSP for crediting customers accounts, and defend the theft. The educated represents the elites in PNG. The Christians represent the moral values in PNG. The fact that a significant portion of PNG’s elites and moral avatars support theft goes to show why PNG is corrupt at its very core.
Corruption in PNG is not a matter of poor and uneducated struggling to make ends meet. It is not a matter of the sinner expressing his lack of internal convictions. Corruption is prompted by the elites, rationalised by moral avatars, and followed by a committed congregation spread across the breath and length of the nation.
Until PNG stops rationalising corruption, nothing will change.
On Easter weekend, BSP unintentionally credited its customers an undisclosed amount of money due to a technological glitch as the bank attempted to update it’s systems. The customers received notifications on their phones. About 30, 000 people rushed to the BSP ATMs and withdrew an average K1, 000 each. Some then subsequently switched banks the following week. BSP has indicated that it will take back its money. If you withdrew the access money in your bank account and intend to ditch BSP, it’s not that easy.
Here’s why:
Credit and Data Bureau
The withdrawals means you owe BSP money, and this information is now registered into the Credit and Data Bureau. All financial institutions have access to this information. If you are in a serious need and want to take out a loan from your new bank, lets say Kina Bank, your new bank will refuse your application because you still owe BSP money. This even applies for your savings institutions such as NCSL which allows for members to borrow. The success of your loan application is determine by, among other things, your credit history. Right now you don’t have an impressive one.
BSP still has your details
You will continue to receive emails and calls and letters from BSP to repay. If you intentionally avoid communication, and do not repay, BSP can report it as an offence. Remember when you opened your bank account you provided the bank your contact details and used a formal ID. For those working, the last thing you want is to be taken in for questioning by uniformed policemen in front of your colleagues. When the court ruling goes in favour of BSP, and it certainly will, you will have to repay it.
BSP is the only bank in most provinces
Apart from Port Moresby and Lae (perhaps Hagen and Rabaul as well), BSP is the only bank with a presence in most provinces and districts. You cannot escape immediate deductions from BSP.
It’s even difficult for students, and the unemployed. The law will find you. Days of reckoning will come.
BSP vs 30, 000
BSP made K1. 136 billion in profits in 2022. It will arm itself with lawyers, and it will get it’s money back.
What to do about it?
Go to the nearest BSP branch or the branch where you opned your bank account, or call them, and arrange with them on how you can repay. Preferably you should repay the amount immediately. If you cannot, arrange for fixed amount to be deducted from your account.
BSP has it’s limitations (and there are many), but the fact is this: you withdrew money that didn’t belong to you. You did this intentionally which means you stole. You must return that which is not yours.
Was it a debate? Panel discussion? Or church gathering even?
Whatever it was, the interaction between the PNG PM James Marape and Opposition Leader Joseph Lelang, the first of its kind, was conducted at the back of massive fanfare. The student representative council (SRC) of the six universities of PNG put out statements stating they would not join the proposed protest against the government in late March 2023. In its place, the SRC of the six universities organised a debate between the prime minister and opposition leader at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) in the first week of April 2023.
The central theme of the organisers was that the “debate” between the two political leaders outside of parliament, is the dawn of a new and mature way of intellectuals interacting with national leaders. Gone were the days, the organisers boasted, of university-led nationwide strikes against the government which resulted in the loss and destruction of properties and violence.
The venue of the “debate” was the New Lecture Theatre (NLT) of UPNG, which has about 300 sitting capacity. On the evening of the event, NLT was filled and a little more, so it’s safe to assume that about 400 were present auditorium. There were about 600 who joined the online streaming of the event. They even attracted the media, other current and former MPs, the UPNG administration and staff as well.
The event began with the UPNG administration and student leaders giving introductory remarks, where they praised the “mature” approach the students adopted to engage with national leaders. The student leaders of the six universities then presented their recommendations to the two leaders and the moderator asked the leaders to expound on them.
Given the issues affecting the country, many expected to see a good debate, especially from one hosted by an academic institution. However, following the event, many Papua New Guineans have left disappointed. Criticisms ranged from poor format of the debate, poor performance from the opposition leader, questions being too soft and even sympathetic towards the prime minister. Here we rank the performance of the opposition leader, the prime minister, the student organisers, and even as a whole.
1. Opposition Leader Joseph Lelang – 5/10
Opposition leaders are usually alternative prime ministers in the waiting, to replace the PM when the incumbent loses the confidence of the parliament. You’d expect the opposition leader to “distinguish” himself from the PM. Instead, the opposition leader agreed with half of the things the PM said, and the PM is doing. If you agree with the PM, why are you even in the opposition? Why not join him on the government side?
Even the PM later had to defend the opposition leader from black lash after the debate. We don’t expect the opposition leader to shout and pound his fist against the PM. But we do expect him to show some PM calibre. Is this our alternative PM?
The Opposition Leader Joseph Lelang
Prime Minister James Marape – 8/10
This was supposed to be the toughest audience for Marape. As an incumbent overseeing high inflation, lawlessness, caught in between disruptive superpower rivalry, and poor development indicators, Marape was supposed to dig deep to defend his policies or lack thereof, in front of a non-apologetic and critical audience. Instead, Marape used his usual charm, and rhetoric and even advised the students, occasionally receiving applause from them.
Part of this had to do with the questions put to the PM. It didn’t even make the PM blink.
The PNG Prime Minister James Marape
3. The students – 4/10
Perhaps the only group that was impressed with the occasion when it ended were the organisers. You must remember the magnitude of what this initiative was replacing. This debate, or panel, or whatever you want to call itC was replacing “student led protests”, which in the past led to change in governments, resulted in politicians losing elections, and pressuring MPs from passing legislations or amending constitutions.
No one walked walked out of NLT, or logged out after watching the stream, thought the PM will change some of his policies.
You cannot blame the students for trying out something new. The problem is this even was advertised as a debate, and ended up as a gentlemen’s chat without distinction.
4. The event as a whole – 5/10
This even was safer than protests, and students should be applauded. But it failed to apply any real pressure for the government to reconsider its approach. It overpromised and under delivered.
There is room for improvement. The first thing to do is improve the format. There was no need for each student leader to present separate positions. They should have had the moderator ask the same questions to prevent push-start style of discussions.
Second, the questions put forward to the PM must be well researched. Ask questions that PNG reporters and fellow MPs fail to ask the PM. Possible questions the students/moderators should have asked the PM include:
“PM you recently announced the increase of DSIP funds to MPs to K20 million per MP. Given that only 40% of MPs acquit their funds, how do you justify such and increase?”
OR
“Do you think the presidential system of voting will fix the problems in this country? Isn’t it a problem where the politicians are failing to follow parliamentary conventions? How about dealing with individuals accused of high-profile corruption are within your coalition first? – and then list issues like the Masaratis wasting away, the Manumanu land deal etc.”
OR
“PM you are the longest-serving finance minister of PNG during your years under Somare and O’Neill. You voted for every budget, legislation and amendment put forward by the O’Neill government, and even defended them in parliament during debates. Don’t you think it’s convenient to blame O’Neill for the mess in this country now?”
To the opposition, the moderate should then put it straight to him: as the alternative PM, what would you do differently?
Third, the star-like treatment of politicians must be replaced by respectful but hard questioning. Half of the opening remarks were full of praise of the PM for making time to attend the event. The level of awe PNG audiences give to politicians is astounding.
Going forward, there is still room for a conversation like the one organised by UPNG. Though it needs improvement. But just remember that it cannot replace protests (peaceful and within the limits of the law). The two are not the same.
Golden Sun has now collapsed, leaving behind tens of thousands of Papua New Guineans heartbroken and maybe a good number broke. What should Papua New Guineans learn from this?
Nothing is FREE
Used and abused so much, the phrase “nothing is free” has become a cliche. Unless your parents are giving you money, nothing in this Covid-19 stricken world is free. Your God told men to “work the land” in Genesis. Your ancestors survived on pure hard work and sustained and preserved the genes you carry. Don’t be the first to expect something for free.
Remember history of scams
If you’re too young to remember U-Vistrac, you should remember Aim Global. Please never ever forget Golden Sun. If you made the mistake of investing as a young 20 year old, you got another 60 years to go. Remember it, teach it to your children and grand children.
Accept criticisms
Golden Sun investors have called us many names, that we were:
Jealous nogat marasin, “jealousy has no cure”, there are bigger things in this country we should be worried about than talk about Golden Sun, provide alternative ways for the ‘simple people’ to make a living instead of criticising them for investing in Golden Sun, do more research before you talk to us… and the list goes on.
If only you took time to hear the critics you’d have avoided this mess.
Never invite family and friends (or anybody for that matter) to join you
Apart from the monetary loss, is the trust you’ve lost from friends, colleagues and family. Especially if you invited them to invest and because they were new entrants, they didn’t get paid a cent.
Teach it to your children and grand children. This nonsense must not be repeated.
Note: This is a repost from an article written by a Golden Sun investor, sharing lessons. See link to his blog at the end.
By Eddie Kabuni
The internet has brought about many benefits, including the ability to make money online. However, it has also brought about an increase in scams that target people looking to make a quick buck. Papua New Guinea has not been immune to these scams, with many people falling victim to fraudulent schemes that promise easy money.
One such scam that has affected many Papua New Guineans is the Golden Sun scam. This scam involved watching and rating 15 seconds of film for which the company promised to pay its employees. To join, people had to pay a fee, and then they were instructed to recruit more people to increase their chances of earning recurring commissions. The company promised that once a person joined, they would become an employee.
I, too, fell for this scam and paid the $40 fee to join the E level. I recruited more people using my social media following and made over $2,000 in three months. However, I chose to ignore the numerous warning signs, including the use of aliases by regional managers, the poor command of English, the lack of a customer service center, no physical office, and web-based email addresses. I continued to promote the scam and recruit more people, even though my younger brother, Michael Kabuni and other government officials and leading journalists warned me about the swindle.
It wasn’t until my last withdrawal was delayed for almost three weeks that I knew the end was near for Golden Sun. Fortunately, my friends and I received our return on investments, but the guilt of promoting the scam still lingers with me. I apologize to those who lost their money through my referral link.
Scams like Golden Sun are not the only ones that have affected Papua New Guinea. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in scams across the country. Scammers have been targeting vulnerable individuals who are struggling to make ends meet, with fake job advertisements, fraudulent loan schemes, and online investment programs.
It is crucial to be cautious and informed when it comes to investing in any program or scheme. Scams can happen to anyone, regardless of their education or socio-economic status. We must continue to educate ourselves and others about the dangers of scams, especially during these challenging times.
If you come across any investment program or scheme that promises easy money, take the time to do your research. Look for reviews online, and talk to people who have had experience with the program. Be wary of programs that require you to pay a fee to join, and be especially cautious if the company promises you large returns in a short amount of time.
In conclusion, let us learn from our mistakes and make sure we do not fall prey to these scams again. We must continue to educate ourselves and others about the dangers of scams and be cautious when investing our hard-earned money. By doing so, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from falling victim to these fraudulent schemes.
Note from Academia Nomad:
We warned that Golden Sun was a scam earlier. It has collapsed within a month since then. Whilst we agree that scammers are targeting the vulnerable, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic, Papua New Guineans could have avoided this scam. Scams are not new in PNG, and there’s an established pattern: no services or products offered, quick money, network marketing, etc. We hope that Papua New Guineans learn from this experience.
Academia Nomad 