Policing will continue as a measure to curtail law and order problems while the Government works at expanding education pathways for the country’s youth and engaging them in small-to-medium enterprises as long-term solutions.
Prime Minister James Marape made these remarks when providing an update on the Government’s efforts in improving the Law & Justice sector in the country.
He was speaking to the PNG business community on Tuesday during a breakfast meeting in Port Moresby jointly organised by the PNG and the Port Moresby Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
While acknowledging that law & order was still a big challenge for the country, Prime Minister Marape said major efforts was being made by his Government to mobilise the youth through education pathways of distance learning and a big capital injection into the SME sector which will continue over the next 10 years.
In each of the 2020 and the 2021 allocations, the Government made available K200 million available to engage ordinary Papua New Guineans in small-to-medium enterprises and strengthen the sector further.
While this is happening, efforts are going into upgrading the work of the courts so they can clear the huge backlog of cases around the country and hasten the court-hearing process.
“Law & Order remain a key challenge and I don’t profess to have all the answers right away; this is work in progress for us.
“Direct policing of our Law & Order is important but our government sees long-term investment to assist in the fight against L&O problems,” PM Marape said.
He recounted an example of youth mobilisation as an answer to L&O issues where a group of youth from the hinterland of Morobe Province made a six-hour travel by road to sell their coffee in Lae last year and made a K400,000 profit for their cooperative.
“This story really encouraged me. This is an indication that when our youth are positively mobilised, they tend to focus on making money and not engaging in unlawful activities. That way L&O issues are minimised.
“So our focus now is on developing the SME sector. Our government is also investing substantially in flexible and open learning. This is education for those left Grades 8, 10 or 12 and these young people can graduate through the alternate learning pathway that we are now giving support to.
“Our long-term strategy is getting our youth engaged positively in society. In the long run, we intend to stabilise the Law & Justice sector with our inputs into the SME and education spaces.
“We are also supporting our Judiciary and working side-by-side with them. There is work happening right now on a program called ‘e-judiciary’ where presiding judges and magistrates are seated in Port Moresby and listening to court circuits happening elsewhere. This is to clear the case backlogs throughout the country,” he added.
PM Marape said a timeframe of 10 years was being given in these plans before real results can happen.
The Prime Minister also briefly touched on the passing of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act, which he said was part of the efforts into restoring the Law & Justice sector and making the environment conducive to living and the operating business.