The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) held an awareness yesterday at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby, educating heads of departments and agencies on the roles and responsibilities of ICAC.
Speaking to the heads of the departments and agencies were ICAC interim Chairman Thomas Eluh and the Chief Secretary Ivan Pomaleu.
Chief Secretary Pomaleu says corruption is deeply rooted in the society, therefore ICAC was established to help prevent and fight against corruption in the country.
He said Corruption Perception Index of 2022 scored PNG 30 out of 100, rating our country as most corrupt country in the world.
“You need to look at the impacts of corruption and know that it is real. It is affecting development in all aspects, most drastically, it discourage foreign investment consequently increasing costs in goods and services, forcing business to close down causing unemployment, it reduces local business opportunities and increase uncertainty for businesses, undermine the rule of law, weakens our institutional foundations of both the government and the private sector” Pomaleu said.
“All leaders use public office for personal gain. We should be doing the right thing to change the perception of corruption. Everything rise and fall on leadership” he added.
In order to better understand the functions of ICAC in preventing corruption, the heads of departments and agencies were educated to take the lead in their organization.
Interim ICAC Chairman Thomas Eluh explained the functions of ICAC.
“ICAC has four pillars that it operates under are; integrity, honesty, impartiality, accountability and transparency” Eluh said.
“ICAC has the power to do investigation, hearing, arresting, prosecution and establishing task force and committees”
“ICAC was established and mandated to combat corrupt conduct of public officials and public bodies; it is opting to drive its preventive function first before its operational function which is to investigate corrupt conduct.
“It is aimed at encouraging public bodies, institutions and firms to put in place internal controls and corruption risk mechanism. It also encourage reporting of corrupt conduct and influence positive behavior.”
Mr Eluh further added that ICAC is not taking away powers of Ombudsman Commission and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary but complements their roles and responsibilities by concentrating on very serious systemic corruption in the country.
