TRANSPARENCY International PNG (TIPNG) brought its Anti-Corruption Help Desk (AnCoHD) to Kokopo last week as part of its annual outreach program.
The Anti-Corruption Help Desk is a community service provided by TIPNG that provides an avenue for people to report corruption.
The AnCoHD assists people by providing legal assistance and seeking pathways for redress.
The Anti-Corruption Help Desk statistics of complaints brings to light the hotspots of corruption informs and empowers people of their rights and responsibilities and strengthens anti-corruption mechanisms within agencies.
Most complaints received by the AnCoHD in East New Britain (ENB) were related to ineffective public administration in the province, land issues and the lack of funding at the Local Level Government.
The TIPNG AnCoHD team processed and filed corruption complaints from the people in ENB, with several people travelling in from as far as the Pomio District to file their complaints.
“The willingness of people to travel in from all four districts to meet our TIPNG team and raise their grievances on corruption-related issues has given us a greater appreciation of the strong will to oppose corruption among people in ENB. While we only hosted a one-day anti-corruption outreach in Kokopo, I encourage anyone who could not make it out to meet us to get in touch with our AnCoHD team on our toll-free number 180 6000,” said TIPNG CEO Arianne Kassman.
“Our mission at TIPNG has always been to empower people in Papua New Guinea to take action against corruption. This can only be achieved with the help of the public and individuals who have the courage to step forward and speak out against corruption. To everyone who makes the effort to come forward with any information relating to issues of corruption within your communities, know that you are not alone and that we are here to support you,” she said.
In order to secure strong and active referral pathways for corruption cases, TIPNG also met with several key government agencies within the province, including the ENB Provincial Administration, Department of Lands & Physical Planning, Public Solicitor, and the Ombudsman Commission NGI Regional office.
TIPNG also visited four secondary schools in the province, including OLSH Vunapope Secondary, Don Bosco Technical Secondary, Kokopo Secondary and St Mary’s Secondary schools to raise awareness about corruption.
Anyone who needs assistance with a corruption-related complaint can call the toll-free hotline on 180 6000.
