Lack of transparency in public administration continues to be a problem, according to Transparency International PNG (TIPNG).

This is according to Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) coordinator Samson Kandata who was running a legal aid outreach under the ALAC programe in Lae, Morobe Province, recently.

The (ALAC) is a program of Transparency International PNG (TIPNG) that offers free legal services for victims and witnesses of corruption.

The legal aid outreach was to provide the opportunity for people in the province to report instances of corruption that they may have encountered.

“TIPNG collected a substantial number of complaints from the general public in Morobe Province and a lot of these complaints were related to lack of transparency in public administration at the provincial level,” Mr Kandata said.

TIPNG receives complaints and creates advocacy on the types of corruption complaints received or sectors that are reportedly practicing corruption.

TIPNG also works with state agencies and other organizations to strengthen their anti-corruption mechanisms. Current statistics from ALAC show that a lot of people approached TIPNG to report corruption within general public administration and services, police, the education sector, land/property and natural resources. Further to this, the corrupt practice that most complainants reported to ALAC was lack of transparency and mismanagement of public funds.

“From the complaints we receive at ALAC, we have made a strong call for the Government to enact an Access to Information Law. We also urge state agencies to ensure they have a corporate anti-corruption plan in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2010-2030,” said Mr Kandata.

In Lae, TIPNG also held stakeholders meetings with the Ombudsman Commission Momase Regional Office, the Lae Police, Morobe Provincial Lands Department, Internal Revenue Commission Lae Office and Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

TIPNG is a member of Transparency International a global anti corruption movement committed to fighting corruption. TIPNG is an independent organisation in PNG known as a chapter of the international movement. The PNG chapter advocates against corruption and promotes transparency, good governance, honesty and accountability both in private and public sector dealings. TIPNG tries to assist strengthen the integrity systems.