Thomas Hukahu Say's

HALF OF DEVELOPMENT BUDGET STOLEN ... Monday  in TN ... Head of Task Force Sweep Sam Koim told an Australian audience last week that half of the development budget over three years has been fleeced off in corruptive activities. That is a staggering K3.8 billion out of PNG government component of K7.6 billion for 2009, 2010 and 2011 that has ended up funding the business and personal interests of a corrupt few and not towards funding development projects, goods and services. He said the largest investors in property in north Queensland were PNG residents and that only six politicians had invested between them K48.92 million (A$22.9 million) in properties in Cairns alone. … Some of the corrupt practices included government contracts, instead of being publicly tendered, are operated under a “thick veil of secrecy” so that government procurement processes today have become a haven for corruption.