This paper discusses some of the major impediments that are affecting the development of this country, Papua New Guinea and off course the general picture of the world. These impediments are identified as Lifestyle or Non Communicable Diseases, Corruption, High Illiteracy rate and Landowner issues especially land conflict and land compensation for mining.
I see the following as major impediments to the development of this nation; however people have different views, but I see these things are becoming barriers to the development of this nation.
Due to modernisation and westernisation, a lot of people in Papua New Guinea have already adopted western lifestyle. Thus, Non- Communicable Disease is prevalent in PNG. Non- Communicable Diseases are normally found in developed countries but now it is found in PNG. The first case was reported in 1971 but now it’s rose up to almost 46% of the total death rates in PNG is NCD. The survey shows that it is affecting most working class people who have direct correlation in term of input in the development of PNG through human resource development and economic development.
Secondly, corruption can also be regarded as one of the impediments to development in PNG because a lot of public funds have been misused at the political and bureaucratic level. We will explore the details in the discourse of this paper.
Thirdly, high illiteracy rate is another contributing factor hindering the progress of development in Papua New Guinea.
Finally, but not the least is land owner conflict and land compensations, it is also seen as an obstacle to the development of this nation of Papua New Guinea. Especially customary land acquisitions and landownership conflicts in mining areas. For example, Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) has been closed down due to landowner compensations, as a result government infrastructures have been destroyed and lives have been claimed.
This paper also provides some strategies and recommendations to address the following issues highlighted above. Especially recommending the government of the day to look into these issues through policy development and legislative framework.
Further research is encouraged for the decision makers or policy makers to have sufficient information available to make informed decisions to address those issues before it’s too late.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Back ground
1.2 Objective and purpose
Chapter 2: Lifestyle disease affecting the development of Papua New Guinea
2.1 Cause of lifestyle disease or NCD
2.2 Lifestyle disease and economic development impact
2.2.1 Economic burden and development
2.3 NCD affecting human resource development
Chapter 3: Corruption-An impediment to development in Papua New Guinea
3.1 Causes and consequences of corruption in terms of economic development
3.2 Corruption and culture
3.3 Impact of corruption
Chapter 4: High illiteracy rate is a major hindrance to the development of Papua New Guinea
4.1 Literacy rate of Papua New Guinea and development
Chapter 5: Land owner conflict affecting the progress of development in Papua New Guinea
5.1 Importance of land and development
5.2 Other general impediments to development of Papua New Guinea
Chapter 6: Methodology
6.1 Document review
6.2 Interview
6.3 Questionnaires
6.4 Case study
Chapter 7: Analysis and discussion on the findings
7.1 Corruption in political and government systems of PNG
7.1.1 Institutional corruption
7.1.2 Corruption cases reported to the watchdog institutions
7.1.3 Convicted cases reported by Task Force Sweep Team
7.1.4 Corruption at international scene
7.1.5 Watchdog perception on PNG
7.2 High Illiteracy rate affecting development in PNG
7.2.1 Correlation between literacy rate and GDP
7.2.2 Prevalence of youth problems due to lack of education
7.3 Findings on lifestyle disease in Papua New Guinea
7.3.1 Global trend on NCD affecting development
7.3.2 Papua New Guinea NCD findings
7.3.3 Loss of economic development through NCD
7.4 Discussion on landowner issues and social problem
7.4.1 Landowner conflict and development –Case study BCL
7.4.2 Government promise vague
Chapter 8: Strategies and recommendations
8.1 Chronic disease prevention strategies
8.1.1 Potential of dietary and lifestyle factors to prevent chronic diseases
8.1.2 Interventions
8.1.3 School-based programs
8.1.4 Worksite interventions
8.1.5 Interventions by health care providers
8.1.6 Transportation policy and environmental design
8.1.7 Promote walking and bicycle riding
8.1.8 Improved food supply
8.1.9 Promoting healthy food choices
8.1.10 Initiatives at the community level
8.1.11 Economic policies
8.1.12 Government policies
8.2 Strategies on preventing corruption
8.2.1 Government initiative to combat corruption
8.2.2 Important tool in fighting corruption
8.2.3 Government officer and individual initiative to combat corruption.
8.2.4 Charity organisations advocates on corruption.
8.3 Strategies for land issues in Papua New Guinea
8.3.1 Government policy and legislative framework
8.3.2 National government land reform strategy
8.3.3 Mining laws to be reviewed
8.3.4 Landowner participation in development
8.4 Strategy to combat low literacy rate in Papua New Guinea
8.4.1 Free education policy
8.4.2 Other agencies reducing illiteracy
8.5 Limitations
Chapter 9: Conclusion
Chapter 10: Bibliography
Appendix A: Research Questionnaires.
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis aims to identify and analyze four critical impediments to the socio-economic development of Papua New Guinea: Non-Communicable Diseases (lifestyle diseases), systematic corruption, high illiteracy rates, and landowner conflicts, proposing strategic policy interventions to address these challenges.
- Impact of lifestyle diseases on human resources and economic productivity.
- Consequences of political and institutional corruption on national development.
- The relationship between low literacy rates, human capital, and economic growth.
- Social and economic disruptions caused by land ownership conflicts, particularly in the mining sector.
- Policy recommendations and legislative frameworks for sustainable development.
Excerpt from the Thesis
2.1 Cause of lifestyle disease or NCD
Lifestyle disease are caused by a lot of factors, basically it’s because of westernisation and industrialisation. It has a big impact on the society and impedes the development of nations around the world including Papua New Guinean. Lifestyle diseases, as the name implies, result from a less than healthy lifestyle. These used to be mainly diseases of the affluent and occur more predominantly in developed countries in the West. (Sassi and Hurst, 2008, p. 7) “Industrialisation and prosperity have been accompanied by increase in the incidence of a number of chronic diseases”. However, with the adoption of some western dietary and daily habits by developing countries, these conditions are now important health issues worldwide. Together they generate high disease and death and have a huge impact on society both in terms of health and economic burden6. A lot of people especially working class people migrating to the cities and town have changed their diet to western dietary. Medical experts have long recognized the effects of diet on the risk of CVD, but the relationship between diet and many other conditions, including specific cancers, diabetes, cataracts, macular degeneration, cholelithiasis, renal stones, dental disease, and birth defects, have been documented more recently. The following list discusses six aspects of diet for which strong evidence indicates important health implications. These goals are consistent with a detailed 2003 World Health Organization report (WHO and FAO 2003). Too much salt intake and fats, soft drink with excessive sugar and processed food with different types of chemicals harm the body. Thus, caused diseases in the body subsequent to chemical imbalance in the body systems, also obesity and lack of exercise is another cause of lifestyle disease.
Too many working class people hardly walk, they drive to work and drive home, whole day siting in the office from morning to late afternoon. Contemporary life in the developed nations has markedly reduced people's opportunities to expend energy, whether in moving from place to place, in the work environment, or at home (Koplan and Dietz, 1999). Dramatic reductions in physical activity are also occurring in developing countries because of urbanization, increased availability of motorized transportation to replace walking and bicycle riding, and mechanization of labour (IARC 2002; Swinburne et al, 2004). A lot of people owned cars and moving around on the car, thus motor vehicle is another cause of lifestyle disease because people use to move around on the car and do not want to walk.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: Provides the background of Papua New Guinea's diverse cultural landscape and administrative structure while outlining the thesis objectives.
Chapter 2: Lifestyle disease affecting the development of Papua New Guinea: Examines the rise of non-communicable diseases due to westernization and their detrimental effect on the country’s human resources.
Chapter 3: Corruption-An impediment to development in Papua New Guinea: Discusses the systemic nature of corruption, its cultural ties to the 'wantok' system, and its negative impact on economic growth.
Chapter 4: High illiteracy rate is a major hindrance to the development of Papua New Guinea: Explores the link between education, human capital theory, and national progress.
Chapter 5: Land owner conflict affecting the progress of development in Papua New Guinea: Analyzes how land compensation disputes and customary ownership issues obstruct infrastructure and service delivery.
Chapter 6: Methodology: Details the qualitative approach, including document reviews, interviews, and case studies used to gather research data.
Chapter 7: Analysis and discussion on the findings: Presents an in-depth review of corruption, illiteracy, health, and land issues, highlighting the direct impact on national development.
Chapter 8: Strategies and recommendations: Offers comprehensive strategic frameworks and policy suggestions to mitigate the identified national impediments.
Chapter 9: Conclusion: Synthesizes the core findings and reinforces the necessity of urgent policy action for the country's sustainable development.
Keywords
Papua New Guinea, Development, Non-Communicable Diseases, NCD, Corruption, Illiteracy, Landowner Conflict, Human Resource Development, Economic Growth, Policy Reform, Wantok System, Public Service Delivery, Education Policy, Sustainable Development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on the major impediments affecting the national development of Papua New Guinea, specifically addressing lifestyle diseases, corruption, illiteracy, and land ownership conflicts.
What are the four key themes addressed in the work?
The four themes are the rising prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), systemic corruption, the high rate of adult illiteracy, and ongoing landowner conflicts over resources and compensation.
What is the central research question?
The work seeks to identify the roots of national development stagnation in Papua New Guinea and establish how these four specific issues function as barriers to progress.
Which methodology is employed in the study?
The author uses a qualitative research approach, incorporating reviews of government reports, data from international organizations, expert interviews, and case studies (e.g., the Bougainville crisis and hospital administration).
What does the main body of the text cover?
It provides a diagnostic analysis of the socio-economic impact of these four problems and concludes with extensive strategies and policy recommendations for the government to adopt.
Which keywords define the essence of this thesis?
Key terms include national development, Papua New Guinea, Non-Communicable Diseases, corruption, illiteracy, human resource management, and land tenure reform.
How does the "wantok" system relate to corruption?
The thesis argues that the Melanesian tradition of sharing and caring, when applied inappropriately in modern public office, evolves into the "wantok" system—a form of nepotism that undermines merit-based public service.
What is the significance of the Bougainville crisis in this study?
The author uses the Bougainville Copper Mine case as a primary example to demonstrate how land disputes and failed compensation agreements can lead to violent conflict, total infrastructure destruction, and long-term economic collapse.
What is the "Disease Burden" concept discussed by the author?
It refers to the adverse economic consequence of losing skilled human resources to lifestyle diseases, which forces the government to redirect limited funds toward health system improvements rather than broader economic development.
- Citar trabajo
- Joseph Bossip (Autor), 2015, Major Impediments to the Development of Papua New Guinea. Non-Communicable Diseases (Lifestyle Disease), High Illiteracy Rate, Corruption and Landowner Compensation (Conflict), Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/302808
