This initiative is part of TIPNG’s Promoting Anti-Corruption and Integrity Strategies (PAIS) Project funded by the European Union to strengthen public trust in national integrity institutions.
“TIPNG welcomes the decision by the NJSS to partner with us through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) for the development of an anti-corruption strategy that will support the NJSS mandate of providing equal access to an independent, fair and quality judicial services to the people,” said TIPNG Chief Executive Officer, Arianne Kassman.
“This signing signals TIPNG’s renewed engagement with the Judiciary as PNG’s third arm of government. PAIS 2010-2030 calls on state agencies to develop internal anti-corruption strategies, yet to date there has been almost no uptake of this national policy.
“TIPNG invites other agencies to follow the leadership demonstrated by the NJSS and implement and inform the public of internal measures to bridge the integrity gap we see in our national integrity system,” she said.
The NJSS was established under the National Judicial Staff Services Act 1987, to provide staff and other support services for the PNG’s National Judicial System. They provide legal, secretarial and clerical staff to enable the courts to operate efficiently. Also NJSS administratively backs support services to the Courts such as buildings, facilities, finance, human resources, legal, audits, policy planning etc to the Courts.
Ms Kassman added that TIPNG, through the PAIS Project will be working with state agencies to develop internal anti-corruption strategies in 2021, which will be shared so that they can effectively engage with the public sector to take action against corruption.
This work has been informed by TIPNG’s 2021 National Integrity System Assessment (NISA) Report, which found that all 14 National Integrity pillars in PNG were less than adequate. Furthermore, the NISA identified a clear integrity gap between the existing laws and practice by agencies. The internal anti-corruption strategies developed by TIPNG in partnership with selected agencies will go towards bridging this integrity gap.