PNG Opposition Tells PM Marape To End Begging. Reminder To Africa And Its Diaspora Communities

Africa Diaspora Communities | Papua New Guinea | Commentary May 31, 2021

Leader of Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s opposition Belden Norman Namah has told the country’s Prime Minister James Marape to end begging for economic assistance from external sources and instead focus his efforts on indigenous development. That was reported by some PNG media on May 26, 2021.

More specifically, Mr Belden Norman Namah reportedly made the call on the PM after accusing him of begging the United Nations (UN) recently, for economic assistance to PNG and other small island nations in the Pacific. The opposition leader is said to have continued that Mr James Marape’s action was contrary to an earlier utterance he made to the UN in 2019 that he intended to transform PNG to an income rich nation by 2030.

Notwithstanding, PM James Marape is not the only head of state who begs from multi-lateral organizations and income rich countries. Many heads of state in Africa in particular, do that all the time. They do that despite their countries having enormous wealth of natural assets that with necessary visionary efforts and ambitions can be converted into great consumer goods, capital goods, regulated medical goods and products, hence considerably increasing their national incomes.

Such heads of state tend to simply avoid the complexity and challenges of indigenous industrialization that is necessary for such conversion of natural assets into processed and manufactured goods. Instead, they often choose the easy option of exporting the natural assets in raw forms and importing manufactured goods made from the exports. By so doing, their countries do not only receive minimal revenues from their natural assets, but export employment opportunities as well.

Concerns about the rather chronic culture of begging in Africa and Africa’s diaspora communities have been raised before by some visionary Africa leaders like, among others, the late President John Magufuli of Tanzania, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.

Probably the ongoing covid-19 vaccine nationalism by some income rich countries, of amassing covid-19 vaccines more than they currently need hence leaving income poor countries with inadequate supply of the vaccines, would be a wakeup call for income poor countries that embrace culture of begging. Such countries, should know by now that under certain circumstances, like during times of pandemic, wars, disasters of global scale, etc., begging may not work! In such cases, benefits of independent national economies become paramount. _________________________ © 2015 - 2021 Africauptodate. All Rights Reserved