Picture: Pak Tech Pro

Source: Emtv

Papua New Guinea’s public sector is still classified as “HIGHLY CORRUPT” under Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.

The CPI is a tool that is used by Transparency International to shine a light on corruption in the public sector.

Since joining the list, PNG has maintained very low scores and this year seems to be no exception with a score of 25 out of 100. 

To use CPI as a tool to assess a nation’s progress on improving its public sector, a good reading can be gathered from assessing the progress over a significant period of time.  This is because surveys used to assess corruption levels in one year may not be the same in the following year.

In 2004, PNG scored 2.6 out of 10.  Over a 10 year period there has been very little improvement in the way our public sector is seen by experts.

This year there were five surveys that were collated to give PNG its score. The surveys were from; 

-       Bertelsmann Foundation Transformation Index,

-       Political Risk Services International Country Risk Guide,

-       World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment 2013,

-       Economist Intelligence Unit Country Risk Ratings and

-       the Global Insight Country Risk Ratings.

PNG has scored 25 out of 100 for three years in a row.

The only other Pacific Island nation to join the list this year is Samoa. In previous years other Pacific Islands who have been on the list have done significantly better than PNG. To make it on the list, a country must have at least three surveys conducted in their country.

Lawrence Stephens, Chairman of TIPNG said PNG does not appear to be dropping in its score but it doesn’t seem to be improving either.

Other concerned groups are not surprised that PNG has again scored this low.

Eddie Tanago from ActNOW PNG says corruption within the public service is affecting our image overseas and especially our people. He spoke to the delay in enforcing recommendations from inquiries such as the Special Agriculture Business Leases and the 2009 Finance Inquiry.

He said public servants who have been implicated in these two inquiries are yet to be prosecuted.

The country with the most open and transparent public service according to the CPI this year, is Denmark with a point of 92 and New Zealand came a close second on 91 points.

Countries that did not do too well this year were mostly from conflict and poverty stricken areas.