A Reflection on Corruption and Social Responsibility


Fifty Years On: Time to Heal Our Nation from Corruption

As we mark fifty years of our nation's journey, it is time we pause—not just to celebrate, but to reflect. We must confront a chronic sickness that has silently eroded our values and distorted our sense of right and wrong: corruption.

Corruption is not just the grand theft of public funds. It begins in the small, everyday compromises—when we offer "cola money" to fast-track a process, when we pay for jobs or tenders, when we accept inflated payments without questioning the ethics behind them. These acts, seemingly harmless, are the roots from which systemic corruption grows.

We have allowed corruption to infest every layer of our society. It has become so normalized that receiving thousands or millions for a job feels like a right, not a privilege or responsibility. But this is not success—it is a distortion of fairness and justice.

Greed and Price Manipulation

Our desire to accumulate more has led us to inflate prices in our businesses, chasing overnight profits. Yet we forget: when we raise prices unfairly, we all suffer. We blame government and big businesses for inflation, but we do the same when we sell to each other. We are complicit.

Let us be fair in how we price our goods and services. Let us be honest in our quotations—realistic in our scope of work. And let us be just when dealing with villagers. Paying them a pittance for raw goods and reselling at 100% profit is not entrepreneurship—it is exploitation. That, too, is corruption.

The Change Begins With Me

If we are to change, it must begin with each of us. Ask not what others should do—ask what I can do to contribute better to society. Integrity is contagious. One honest act can inspire another. One fair transaction can restore dignity. One ethical choice can ripple through a community.

Let us choose to be the difference. Let us choose to be fair, honest, and just. Let our 50th anniversary be not just a milestone, but a turning point. A turning point for intergrity honesty and justice. #turningpointPNG

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