By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, March 20, 2016 (PNG)
THOSE were the comments from National Research Institute Director Dr Charles Yala during a presentation last week on the development of a knowledge hub at the institute premises in Port Moresby.
Yala underpinned the premise of a knowledge hub that would cater from research from researchers both within various sectors in the country and overseas based organisations in enabling properly validated inquiry into the country’s development issues that have plague the trickling down of benefits to ordinary citizens despite the sustained economic growth periods experienced.
“The reason is that we should think long-term and strategic because PNG remains a poor country and the development problems of PNG are poorly understood. We have had mineral booms, now the LNG.”
“None of these are putting a dent on the living standards of Papua New Guineans. They all are flying over us. Petro (Petroleum), mineral dollars, and gas dollars are disappearing into thin air.”
“The bottom line is that the welfare of our citizens remains one of the poorest in the world. We already know the country is already over complicated with over 800 languages, over 2500 dialects.”
“It’s already separated by too many mountains, valleys, and hills so what it does is that it raises transactions code of service delivery.”
He said that after 40 years of independence, the country’s problems remain unknown, that they continue to puzzle.
“None of these massive projects are putting a permanent dent and changing for the better for our country.”
“So what we need is to have a focused thinking about what to do. What are the problems and issues and what should be done.”
“That is why we think PNG remains a poorly understood country when it comes to policy. Thinking strategy requires a concerted effort. Every stakeholder working towards concertedly for a long time in a focused environment.”
The director pointed out that the institution is now in a positioned after the last 10 years to be a physical hub- through the IT platform that has been put in place in the institute.
“A virtual hub that can undertake this research, and analysis of PNGs perennial (persistent) structural problems and generate ideas that are used to influence and inform and shape public opinion.”
“In other words, elections will come and go, heads of departments will come and go, directors like me will come and go but the systems and the process will remain where the hard questions are continuously being asked, analysis is done behind, and that information and findings continues to inform and influence policy makers and leaders overtime.”
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