The Papua New Guinea Futurist

K6 billion in trust funds have been reduced to K600 million kina. Billions have gone out the door without anyone knowing who has taken it, where it has gone? We have just passed K6 billion budget for 2011 which is a record for PNG’s history. Meanwhile development in POM is booming and consumption of luxuries has increased which is reflected in the SP Brewery expansion project showing the demand for alcohol etc. Luxury cars with a lot of property being purchased in Australia. Meanwhile, outside of Port Moresby, women are dying in childbirth. People are dying from preventable diseases. Schools with no school books or buildings. Impassable roads. No electricity. No government presence. Development funds used to fund personal bank accounts for politicians and their cronies. Given the fragmentation of society driven by the geographical features of PNG, it can result in many individual developments where people in an area will get together and contribute and build an aid post. Then they will...

The current education system cannot cater for the growing population. The quality of education is not preparing PNG to be able to compete in the future world where the world will be more connected with money, materials and people being able to move around more easily, PNG workers will always be at a disadvantage. Over 90% of the population attend the public school system where even the brightest students are “dumbed down” by the experience. The privileged few who can send their children to private schools or even better to overseas schools will find that their children will have the pick of the jobs and will be in positions to perpetuate the power that their parents have started to build. The vast majority will end up as security guards and shop keepers whilst this country’s resources are controlled by the few elites.

The essence of this blog and it's contents are captured in the image above. I will endeavour to explain the past; highlighting the key factors and their impact on our development as a nation. I will then investigate the key trend in the current phase in PNG's development and the current national goals. Then I will look at the alternate development paths in order to achieve our national goals. Bear in mind that this is a journal, so there is no end. The discussion will continue with revisions once new information is uncovered or assumptions are challenged and changed. Thus it is in the best interest of the reader to assist with the most up to date information or the best assumptions for the discussion to bear fruit.