NEC okays Task Force

THE National Executive Council has approved the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Task Force (NACSTF), Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced yesterday.
This was one of the first decisions of the NEC appointed by Mr O’Neill, which held its first meeting on Wednesday.
The primary role of NACSTF will be to implement the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
The National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2010-2030 was developed after PNG ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in May 2007.
Key government departments got together and worked on developing the anti-corruption strategy, which was unveiled last year.
“We have made the fight against corruption a top priority for this government. We are not going to waste time,” Mr O’Neill said in a statement.“As a government, we are taking action on our promise to the people – that corruption will be attacked wherever it occurs, or act to prevent it occurring,” he said.
The task force will operate within the framework outlined by the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which won the backing of UN representatives who reviewed it early this year.
The task force will draw membership from key government departments including the departments of Prime Minister, Justice, Police, Treasury, the Ombudsman Commission, Auditor General and the Public Prosecutor’s office, among others.
The Department of the Prime Minister will be the lead co-ordinating agency. Funding of K500,000 will be immediately made available to fund the establishment of this task force, and it will start work without delay.
Some of the tasks and measures the task force will focus on include:
* The setting up of a National Integrity Commission, or the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) with wide ranging investigative and prosecutorial powers;
* Developing legislation to protect whistle-blowers, or those who report and expose corruption;
* Developing legislation to allow citizens easy access to government information (Freedom of Information Act) to ensure transparency and accountability;
* Developing risk management strategies for all government departments to strengthen processes and systems to minimise opportunities for corruption;
* Developing and putting in place performance agreements in employment contracts for public servants;
* Relocating financial disbursement functions in departments to Finance, thereby minimising opportunities for corruption;
* Utilising special investigation task forces, eg SWEEP;
* Constructive engagement with civil society in exposing corruption and promoting good governance;
* Strengthening audit and accountability institutions;
* Reviewing and strengthening the public tender and procurement process; and
* Implement outstanding Commission of Inquiry recommendations, like SABL and Finance Inquiry. “This NEC decision demonstrates our government’s resolve to attack corruption at its root. This task force will need the support of all of us if it is to succeed in its work and I urge everyone to support it,” the PM said.