Comments

Thank you for the reflection and insights Professor.

Thank you for this insight, RPNGC is not given enough credit and publicity for their positive work in rural areas to ensure community harmony. In collaboration with village courts representatives, RPNGC are seen by many as the representatives of government in the absence of other formal state institutions. They give confidence to a community where leadership, confidence, trust and consensus is so important.

I agree that section 63 of the Act does not provide a clear and concise meaning as to whether the PM is to be elected from the party with the largest number of members afer a VONC. This section clearly needs to be reviewed. Thanks for information.

These books help to chronicle important eras and certain international crises. Some other good readings with Australian/NZ perspectives include • Heidi Postlewait, Kenneth Cain and Doctor Andrew Thomson’s ‘Emergency Sex (And Other Desperate Measures)’ (2004) • My own ‘Hot-Spotting: an Australian delivering foreign aid’ (2007) • Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save: How to play your part in ending world poverty Paperback (2009) • Krissy Nicholson’s ‘Tsunami and the Single Girl: One Woman’s Journey to Become an Aid Worker’ (2013)

A very useful article for educators and decision makers at all levels in the education system. Teaming up to challenge the pandemic impact will be the way forward.

Good to learn that there is a scientific explanation that exists to educate our people who survive on growing and harvesting sago palm trees included those that grow widely namely western, central, Momase and New Guinea Islands, multiple ways of harvesting, protecting and securing from weevils and moulds, preparing and secured soiled in coconut oil, etc. As explained our people for generations have lived their lives eating sago along with their protein choices. Generations come and go, Sago sustains their lives. If this document forms a generalise claim that these diseases have long been experienced with a number of ethnic groups whose diet had and continue to live on Sago, then the PNG Medical society and medical school should be venturing into the manufacturing of medicines to treat these diseases that could be made available to persons and community groups who are vulnerable or who live with these health conditions. On a positive note, what new knowledge culminates from this document provides evidence that eating sago has its good health conditions potentials!

Thank you Fredrick. Very informative.

Two things struck me here: the idea of small business with profit and people in mind - the double bottom line and the idea of looking inwards (people, places, culture, land based activities etc). Large hotel providers also used this strategy by turning to local patronage to keep hotels breathing. I however was disappointed when Fiji opened its doors on 1st December 2021, local doors disappeared. Going forward, SME development could be one of the best tools to economic resilience at rural community or agro-based level. It is rooted on the ground!

This is one way forward. By educating our people, we hope to see a cultural shift in mindset and how people approach everyday corruption. We need honest people to start a serious national conversation re this.

Thanks for sharing. You have provided such an informative and knowledgeable stuff with us. I really admire your all the posts. I also working on Global Maternal and Child Health NGO from last couple of years i.e Antara International. Keep sharing &posting .

A very interesting article. The key lesson seems to be that it was the administration of the policy - rather than the policy itself - that was flawed. However, a recent World Bank study of tobacco and alcohol taxation reform in the Philippines suggests there are relatively simple and effective ways of taxing tobacco and other harmful products that raises revenue and expands health insurance for the poorest. That study finds, for example, that collections of excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol increased by 86% to $US 2.44 billion in just one year after simplified excise duties were introduced. The increased tax revenue nearly doubled the Department of Health's budget and allowed the extension of fully subsidised health insurance to the poorest 40% of the population. That research is available <a href="https://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/abs/10.1596/978-1-4648-0806-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow ugc">here</a>.

Concur with all sentiments raised here that corruption is widespread and has become a norm in PNG.As a way fwd in eradicating it, we need a shift in peoples mindset and behavior that would enable us to start electing good leaders to parliament who would fight corruption head on. Currently there are only few good MPs whist the majority are tainted hence the status quo remains. The change has to start from the corridors of waigani and we need to educate the people to think and vote based on their conscience (and not some short term material benefits).I think this is the way fwd to addressing this pandemic in our society.