INDEPENDENCE FREEDOM AGAINST ECONOMIC DEPENDENCY. 44 YEARS OF STRUGGLES IN PNG

By Tony Kerowa

It is with great pleasure to write this article on the eve of the country's 44 years political independence since 16th September, 1975

As the beautiful people of this beautiful country going about celebrating the country's Independence day, I am somewhat fascinated by the feeling of belonging and self-confidence and pride of being free portrayed by the young and old alike. The wearing of PNG colour and raising of mini PNGflags on moving vehicles, treetops, rooftops, fences, road sides, office's, stores and weaving of the flag by the patriotic citizens of this country. As I turn every corner, I see smiles of people including mother's, children, fathers and older people who are living testimony of a colonel era wishing each other and extending their wishes of "Happy 44 Independence day wishes"

These feeling of belonging and self-confidence with pride comes with STRUGGLES and HARDSHIPS of lives miseries through high cost of living, inflation , economic recession forced on through hefty DEPENDENCY on foreign aid, huge loans, weak fiscal management, rampant corruption and bribery, greed and selfishness of the elite minority manipulating and abusing the Government system for self-preservation at the expense of the defenseless population.
If their is one thing we must be proud of as a country as we celebrate this independence, we must be happy that we are politically free.

We can us this FREEDOM to drive ourselves out of poverty without depending too much on foreign aid and hefty loans. Our people deserve the best and as leaders of this country we owe it to them.
The Freedom we enjoy as an independent country must not be just another event..it must be used as a foundation to plan ahead and design our pathway into the future.
The starting point is with the patriotic feeling portrayed by the citizens of young and old alike. As leaders in the Government, Public sector and private sectors, we must all embrace the FREEDOM to earnest a prosperous future.

Decisions must be based on a unilateral approach. We don't need outsiders/foreigners to come and tell us what to do. We have all that we need in our beautiful country to be like other countries.
The country need ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE..and only through good leadership in all sectors to design and develop our economy at whatever discipline must lead to economic FREEDOM.
The Government leaders must lead by example through policy framework that will eradicate corruption, reduce tax burden on the hardworking population, peg extractive industry exploitation, review and revive renewable resources, improve quality of Education, driver a no nonsense law and order approach , drive an export driven economy rather than import driven.

Improve SME sectors through making readily available funding assistance to small businesses to increase employment opportunities thus reducing wastage of human resources and eradicating poverty.
The Government leaders from the Prime Minister JAMES Marape down to his Cabinet colleagues and backbenchers including opposition must take the lead to fight for ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE. For us business leaders and community leaders will support.

Our people deserve the best and we owe it to them...THIS FREEDOM WE ENJOY MUST BE USED TO ITS FULLNESS..44 YEARS of DEPENDENCY must END after this celebration.