Papua New Guinea needs a strategy for change

By REG RENAGI

 

Since independence, successive governments betrayed the values that brought Papua New Guinea into nationhood. 

All the early political promises at independence of providing opportunities to the people, taking responsibility and rewarding those who work hard seems to have been forgotten by the government over the passage of time.

 The result today is the people got poorer while the few who got into power in Waigani and their special interest friends got richer.

PNG has some of the world’s richest natural resources and most-resourceful people.

 The country’s natural beauty, culture and lifestyle could make it a great place to live, work, visit and do business.

 Yet, since independence, the country with successive national and provincial governments has mismanaged its assets and squandered its people’s opportunities for a better standard of living and a good quality of life.

 The consequences are high unemployment and underemployment, low incomes, a high tax economy, substantial urban migration, below standard services and a big national debt. 

PNG’s political system is not working effectively for its people.  Waigani is dominated by special interests and an entrenched bureaucracy that has totally failed its life-long mission of serving the people in all conditions.

 Papua New Guineans are tired of the way their country has been mismanaged and are ready for leaders willing to take responsibility to lead the nation to prosperity and growth.

To do this, PNG’s leadership must have a good strategy for change that will transform the whole country for a better future.

 The new leadership strategy must put people first with a plan that will provide avenues for the people to fully engage themselves in many life-changing opportunities.

PNG needs a new leadership approach, realistic vision and a good holistic plan.

 The next new prime minister and administration must start dealing with many basic problems ignored for many years.

 The next government must judiciously apply rational and intelligent policies to traditional resource industries that aim to make PNG competitive and provide solid benefits to all citizens.

 It must foster new and growing industries to create jobs for today and for the next generation.

The new plan for a progressive and transformational government from 2012 should be to grow the economy and provide new job opportunities for Papua New Guineans.

  Its focus must be to put more money into the pockets of those who need it the most.

 It must also target growth in small and medium businesses, tourism, IT, fisheries, forest and the agriculture sector industries. 

The focus should also be placed on receiving more widely-distributed benefits from the development of the country’s natural resources.  

For the future, the government must ensure equality for all citizens by empowering them to equally participating in and benefiting from the country’s development.

 National sovereignty and self-reliance is an important goal to make PNG politically and economically independent with a self-reliant economy. 

PNG must ensure its natural resources and environment is conserved as much