ACT NOW! has been campaigning for the establishment of a fully funded and staffed Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) since 2010. 

Although an ICAC alone cannot address all the problems that PNG faces with corruption, a dedicated anti-corruption agency is essential as other existing institutions, including the Royal Constabulary and the Ombudsman Commission, have failed to control white-collar crime.

The final laws necessary for the establishment of an ICAC were passed by Parliament in November 2020, and the first Commissioners sworn-in in July 2023.

On 26 March 2025, the Commission announced it had made its first arrest and charged an individual in the New Ireland Provincial Administration with official corruption. This was a significant milestone, but we are still waiting for the ICAC to be fully funded and staffed and for it to achieve its first succesful prosecution.

Attempts to establish an ICAC go back more than twenty-five years. A draft ICAC Bill was first developed in 1997, but a lack of political support meant it was not passed by Parliament.

In 2011, the Government developed new draft legislation to establish an ICAC. However, that legislation was not even tabled in Parliament.

In 2012, the incoming government pledged to establsih an ICAC but moved very slowly and failed to fully implement that promise.

In June 2013, the government released a set of consultation documents and ACT NOW! responded to the call for public submissions.

In November 2013, Parliament passed the law amending the Constitution to allow for the establishment of an Independent Commission Against Corruption. This was the first piece of legislation needed in the process of establsihing an ICAC. 

In November 2015, Parliament passed the first reading of the second law required to allow the establishment of an Independent Commission Against Corruption. This legislation defined how an ICAC will function. But crucially, the final votes on the legislation were never held.

In 2017, the new government again pledged to establish an ICAC but that never materialised - despite a public petition organised by ACT NOW!

In 2019, a new draft Bill was published and began its passage through Parliament.

In July 2020, ACT NOW! made a submission on the draft Bill to the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Laws, Acts and Subordinate Legislation, warning the new ICAC may not be fully politically independent.

On November 12, 2020, the ICAC Bill was, finally, unanimously passed by Parliament.

This was unfortunately not the end of the story as after the legislation was passed the steps to set up and fully fund the Commission still proceeded at a glacial pace.

The establishment of an ICAC is one of twenty-two Policy Proposals that ACT NOW! has developed to help ensure PNG has an open and transparent government. These measures have been identified through extensive research, benchmarking international best practice and wide consultation. If adopted, these measures could increase economic growth and boost the economy.