It is crucial for all governments to make information readily available for public viewing, as it is a key instrument in contributing towards transparency. This was one of the action plans discussed during the Papua New Guinea Open Government Partnership 2nd National Workshop at Lamana Hotel in Port Moresby.
Key topics discussed included information from the national budget, like how the money is being spent, to how many hospitals and staff are available in each hospital around the country. Information should be readily available and up to date for public viewing.
Papua New Guinea is still in the infant stages of gathering and having this information out on a platform on which the public can easily access.
The Ministers forward in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Action plan stated that this is a step into a modern governance system, which will ensure prosperity for Papua New Guinea. Once achieved, it will benefit the public, researchers, journalists among, and the international audience also.
Also discussed was the importance of proper training, which is required by journalists to be able to read and understand government documents in order to disseminate clear-cut information. This was one of the points stressed by Editor in Chief of Post Courier, and President of PNG Media Council, Alexander Rheeney.
Rheeney also stated that this workshop is a step in the right direction for PNG.
