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Welcome to My Commentaries
In this section, I will share some personal insights and reflections on various aspects of life that are shaped by my experiences and observations of my people, the Melpa, and the Highlands culture. From leadership and governance to commerce, sports, religion, and our rich cultural heritage, these reflections shed light on the values and practices that have defined our way of life for generations. I hope that by sharing these thoughts, we can better understand the challenges we face and the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to build a strong, united community.
A Better Tomorrow Begins Today
I was fortunate to grow up in a time when our leaders in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s provided equal opportunities for everyone. Back then, jobs were guaranteed, and there was money left over after living expenses. Life was stress-free because people had enough to meet their needs and save. Families were strong, and communities were respectful and unified. Today, however, rampant corruption and greed have destroyed the chance for equal opportunities. Both working individuals and subsistence farmers struggle to save money as inflation and the high cost of living outpace earnings. Many are forced to live on debt or resort to corruption, cheating, lying, and antisocial behavior just to survive. The gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen, making it nearly impossible for decent, honest, and hardworking men and women to advance in life.
In the Western Highlands, we face a troubling reality: educated individuals who lack the courage to stand up and address the issues plaguing our country. They fail to inform the general populace about what is going wrong and what urgently needs to be done to fix our community, province, and nation. Even our church leaders have compromised their mission of salvation for material gain. Self-proclaimed cargo cult leaders prey on vulnerable individuals, including drug addicts, to push their own agendas and interests. What kind of future are we leaving for our young people? I challenge all mature men and women, as well as our provincial and national leaders: What actions, inactions, or decisions you make today, tomorrow, and in the days to come will shape the opportunities and life your children will have to live to their full potential? Get involved in elections and educate the populace to say NO to cargo cult leaders in our province and country. Don’t wait until the ship has sailed and you’re left writing lengthy essays about what could have been. We’re wasting our most valuable resource—our active time on Earth—complaining about who is a good leader, who should be Prime Minister, and who should take charge. The power to decide is not ours; it lies with the leaders we have voted for or assisted in getting into Parliament—legally or illegally. Let us pray that nothing terrible happens between now and the 2027 election. If we truly care, let’s plan to change the current composition of leaders we are complaining about. I humbly ask all you young boys and girls to remind your parents and relatives to contribute in whatever ways in their sphere of influence to leave you a better tomorrow. I wish all young people of Papua New Guinea a better tomorrow then what we have today, a tomorrow where you all will have equal opportunities to advance in life and reach your full potential. Ask you James Yoka Ekip Kagamuga Airport, Mt. Hagen, WHP
DSIP AND PSIP ARE MPS' POCKET MONEY: A SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR ABUSE
My fellow Papua New Guineans, since 2001, I have been writing and advocating about the real issues hindering our nation’s progress. Though only a handful of you read, share, and follow my articles, I urge those who have ignored them to start paying attention. My writings expose the deep-rooted problems stifling our development, and more importantly, I propose concrete solutions to address them.
Today, I will reveal one of the most cunning and well-executed scams in our country’s history—a system that has allowed millions of kina meant for development to vanish without a trace. Have you ever wondered why, despite every Member of Parliament receiving District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) and Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP) funds annually, our country remains underdeveloped? Why do some electorates show signs of progress while others stagnate, even though all MPs receive the same allocations?
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The answer is simple yet disturbing: DSIP and PSIP funds have effectively become MPs’ personal pocket money, handed over with little to no oversight or accountability. These funds are disbursed directly to MPs, who then decide how and where to spend them—without any obligation to justify their decisions. There are no stringent monitoring mechanisms to track whether the money reaches its intended beneficiaries or is squandered on political allies, relatives, or personal interests. As a result, MPs operate with impunity, treating public funds as their private wealth.
This lack of accountability explains why so many electorates remain underdeveloped despite millions of kina flowing in every year. In districts where MPs are honest and committed, some portion of the funds may reach the people, resulting in basic services and infrastructure. However, in most cases, the money is misused, leaving communities without roads, schools, healthcare, or clean water. The tragic reality is that MPs now control the delivery of basic services through DSIP and PSIP funds. If they choose not to spend the money on their people, entire districts suffer neglect. Development is no longer a right but a privilege granted at the whim of politicians. Worse still, successive governments have weaponized these funds, turning them into tools of political manipulation. The ruling party uses DSIP and PSIP allocations to coerce MPs into loyalty, ensuring their support remains intact. This is why so many MPs abandon their principles—and even their own parties—to join the government. The fear of losing access to these funds keeps them obedient, allowing corrupt and incompetent governments to remain in power for full terms. No matter how poorly a government performs, MPs will cling to it as long as their "pocket money" keeps flowing. This system perpetuates a cycle of underdevelopment, where progress is dictated not by national planning but by the personal interests of politicians. The people suffer while those in power enrich themselves, knowing there are no consequences for misusing public funds. If we want real change, we must recognize this scam for what it is and demand systemic reforms. Follow my articles as I continue to expose these injustices and propose alternative models that channel development funds directly to the people—bypassing the politicians who have turned public money into their personal slush funds. Only then can we break free from this cycle of exploitation and build a Papua New Guinea that works for all its citizens, not just a privileged few. Thank you for taking your time to read my articles. By LUCAS KIAP I am a writer and critic on government policy and advocate for accountability since 2001 -------- Follow me and share my articles
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Leadership and Governance
The classic Highlands big-man model of leadership has prepared Hagen men for leadership in business and politics at all levels, from district to province to national. Big-men gain prestige from distributing, rather than accumulating, wealth.
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The extraordinary skills of the big-men to allocate pork in equal portions to so many people at a mumu place is quite an experience. They always make sure that women and child have something to eat. Only after everyone has received a share, will they eat what ever little is remaining at the mumu place. Men often go without pork when there is not enough to around, in which case, a good-hearted woman might donate her share to the men to share among themselves. Transparency and accountability (good governance) are clearly demonstrated in moka as well as in pork sharing. Contemporary PNG leaders in the National Parliament could learn something from traditional Hagen big-men
Commerce & Industry
Look at the Wahgi Valley from the air and you will be surprised to see that the land is extensively cultivated with food gardens and plantations. Where in the world can you find a market with a wider range of fresh fruits and vegetables than our Mount Hagen market? Our Land-Cruisers are hired and stripped by our clients from the upper Highlands. Landowners from mines and oil and gas fields live in our hotels and hire our vehicles – only to disappear without paying their bills. But we continue to expand our businesses in spite of these challenges.
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We risk our lives to travel to remote corners of the country to buy betel nut, thereby enriching coastal people with our money, and making them healthy by feeding them with our fruits and vegetables. Cabbage stew has transformed the coastal man – from malnourished bodies damaged by “grillie” ringworm skin infections to plump well proportioned men and women.