The benefits expected from the Exxon-Mobil liquefied natural gas project will not be realised unless corruption is weeded out say the Catholic Bishops meeting for their annual Conference.


“Our elected political leaders at national, provincial and local levels as well as traditional and community leaders, both men and women, have an enormous task ahead of them as we go forward. The National Government, because of the wealth PNG LNG will generate, has described an attractive dream for our nation with the PNG Vision 2050. Everyone is called upon to participate. All are supposed to benefit.”  

“However, wealth that comes from PNG LNG and other projects will not, by itself, bring this dream to reality.
We will not even be at the starting point until the culture of corruption, which is firmly embedded everywhere in Government and society is eradicated and a new culture of honesty, service, transparency and accountability replaces it,” the bishops said.
  

“Today, many who, because of their position, have access to money for themselves, they are ruining our nation. This is stealing and it is wrong. These corrupt leaders are enemies of their own people. Wise leadership, competent governance and better law and order are necessary to realise PNG’s dream. Political leaders and public servants surely know this and also know that if we continue along the path we are presently following, we are headed for disaster.”  

The bishops also expressed grave concern about the state of health, education and other services. “Consider these questions - Why are health care and education services so poor in a country as rich as ours? Why is infrastructure development, such as roads and bridges, rural electrification and communications lagging behind so badly? What about governance, law and order, public service performance and political leadership? Why haven’t these things gotten better over the years?
It is not an exaggeration to say the big development projects haven’t helped as much as they should have”