10 Aug 2012

TI PNG wants PM to act against corrupt as promised

12:50 pm on 10 August 2012

Transparency International in Papua New Guinea says the Peter O'Neill Government must follow through on its stated aim to combat corruption.

Soon after being confirmed, Mr O'Neill said cracking down on corruption would be a priority.

A spokesperson for TI PNG Lawrence Stephens says the government now has to back up this commitment.

He says one of the first things it should do is follow through on the inquiry that Mr O'Neill himself ordered into the controversial Special Purpose Business and Agriculture Lease arrangements.

Under these deals millions of hectares of land fell into the hands of logging companies.

"They now have a report in front of them and we are hoping that report from the commission of inquiry will be actioned. This then goes back to many others. There was a finance inquiry - the results of that need to see action. And then perhaps we will start to see an impact on corruption, the sort of impact that the Prime Minister said he wants to have."

Lawrence Stephens of Transparency International in Papua New Guinea