'the PNG government declared the equivalent of nearly US$400 million surplus this year. But that impressive report card is proving meaningless to the common people of the country'


More recently, Papua New Guinea has begun displaying the classic symptoms of a fast growing developing country too preoccupied—and perhaps a little carried away—with its impressive economic achievements to take note of its long suffering, perhaps even deteriorating, social sector.

Soon after Sir Michael Somare’s re-election as Prime Minister in September, Standard and Poor’s, the international credit rating agency, upgraded the country’s rating to B+, the highest ever it has had in its 37 years of independence. The agency cited robust economic growth and political stability as factors responsible for the upgrade.

Despite its rather politically unstable image in the western media largely owing to its prickly relationship with its big and powerful neighbour Australia, Somare’s previous government was the first in history to last its entire five-year term and, equally importantly, oversee the country’s most spectacular growth phase.

This year, its economy is expected to grow by 4.5 percent, driven mainly by the boom in the mining industries—of course propelled by the insatiable appetite of the ballooning Chinese and Indian growth engines that has resulted in the growth of the metals and mineral oil sectors by up to a whopping 500 percent over the past four years.

And it is not merely the commodities boom that has set this pace for PNG’s economy. It has managed its debt so well that since 2002, the national debt has dipped from 72 percent to just 39 percent this year.

Also, better compliance and collection processes have increased tax revenues from the petroleum and mining sectors by four times in just four years.

Domestic funds in the government’s Public Investment Programme have grown by nearly US$100 million and the country has enough foreign exchange in its kitty to cover five months worth of imports—a situation far better than most of its Pacific Islands neighbours.

In a third budget surplus in a row, the government declared the equivalent of nearly US$400 million surplus this year.

But that impressive report card is proving meaningless to the common people of the country—especially for its women and children against whom violence has continued to grow unabated in more recent years.

It has now become a national issue after last month a petition collectively from several women’s associations and organisations, was sent to the Parliament. Unfortunately, it received little notice from lawmakers who accepted the petition in a token manner and adjourned debate to a later date.

This, despite widespread protests against the growing gruesome violent incidents against women and children across the country, with women driven to desperation enough to have uncharacteristically taken to the streets in spontaneous mass protests.

The appallingly heart rending stories of violence against women and children pouring from around the country point to a deep-seated malaise in the country’s heavily lopsided gender dynamics.

The lack of importance the country’s administration accorded to women and children is borne out by the fact that the gender gap in primary and secondary education as well as in basic literacy levels has increased over the past few years, with enrolments falling and the dropout rate rising for both genders.

The fact that the country has just one female MP, the Australian born Dame Carol Kidu, perhaps is testimony to this. Quite simply, women seem to have no place in the country’s excessively male-dominated social structure.

But what stands out glaringly is the government’s apathy and lawmakers’ near-denial that the problem exists, exemplified by their ostrich like attitude when they received the petition in the face of nationwide protests.

As well as women and children, the country’s impressive macroeconomic gains have not translated into tangible benefits for a majority of the five million Papua New Guineans -which may indeed be at the very root of the problems that women and children face.

Things seem to have gotten only worse over the past few years. PNG has been downgraded in almost every aspect of human development in the very period in which it has seen such impressive economic growth and hailed with accolades from international economic monitors.

Recent studies show a disturbing increase in poverty levels. Despite the government’s efforts to address poverty even with various overseas aid programmes, an assessment in late 2005 showed that it was well nigh impossible for the country to reduce poverty to levels targeted by the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Though its economic growth continues to be high compared to other Pacific Island nations, many smaller islands leave PNG far behind in many development indices.

The country tops the list of Pacific Islands nations in child mortality rates with 93 out of 1000 children dying before they attain the age of five years.

The runaway spread of HIV/AIDS over the past decade threatens to reach epidemic proportions while access to public healthcare continues to remain difficult.

There is a widening gap in the delivery of both civic and social services across the rural-urban divide with only 32 percent of the former being able to access safe drinking water and sanitation.

As urban migration continues unchecked, squatter settlements in Port Moresby and other cities are putting increasing pressure on the environment and law and order.

While claiming credit for the country’s commendable economic performance, the Somare administration must accept complete responsibility for these glaring failures at grassroot level—especially when it comes to women and children whose lot seems to have only worsened during this phase of rapid economic growth.

In his address to the nation after his latest victory, Somare said his new government’s challenge now was to deliver these economic benefits down through all levels of society to the grassroot level.

Somare also said he would voluntarily step down from the country’s Prime Minister’s post after some 18 months, in which case he has little time to achieve this.

And given the rough and tumble of PNG’s political dynamics, it seems a far cry that any successor would bring the agenda of the welfare of women and children centre stage any time soon.