A REGIONAL academic has warned that the Pacific cannot achieve peace or prosperity unless it confronts corruption head-on, calling it a “tapeworm” quietly draining the region’s strength.
Dr Shailendra Singh – the Head of the Journalism Programme at the University of the South Pacific – said corruption made peace difficult to achieve.
“If you have corruption, you cannot have those things together. It is very simple,” he said.
“Where there is corruption, it is hard to achieve goals like an ocean of peace.”
Speaking at the Teieniwa Vision Anniversary Panel Discussion on Corruption, Singh commended the vision for explicitly linking anti-corruption efforts to peace, progress and prosperity, stressing that the connection is undeniable.
Singh posed two critical questions: How much impact has been made against corruption in the Pacific? And how much of an impediment does corruption remain to the region’s growth?
To address those questions, he pointed to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index released earlier this month by Transparency International, which states that corruption remains a persistent challenge across the Pacific and continues to undermine the region’s future, despite ongoing efforts.
According to the index, Papua New Guinea recorded the lowest score among Pacific Island countries, with 26 out of 100, 19 points lower than the Asia-Pacific average. Fiji scored 55 points, making it the best-performing Pacific Island country.
However, Singh noted that Fiji’s score had not improved over the past five years.
“At least according to this report, Fiji is stagnant,” he said.
“Corruption remains a thorn in Fiji, unfortunately.”
He likened corruption to a creature — a tapeworm feeding quietly from within, draining strength and slowing progress — warning that if left unchecked, it debilitates and ultimately destroys its host.
“It is no wonder Kofi Annan called corruption a cancer that spreads and ultimately undermines development,” Singh said.
Describing corruption as an old, stubborn foe in the Pacific, he said the Teieniwa Vision’s call for Pacific states to unite in the fight is well-placed.
“But on this anniversary, are we united in actual action or only in words?” he asked.
Singh said he arrived at that question after scrutinising the latest Transparency International report, which urges Pacific leaders to move beyond statements and prioritise meaningful action against corruption — a point he noted had also been raised by earlier speakers at the panel.
He highlighted that the Teieniwa Vision contains several pledges and commitments, including the right to information and whistleblower protection, both of which are strongly articulated within the document.
“The question then is, how many Pacific Island countries have passed right to information and whistleblower protection legislation? Do the words match the actions?”
He said, unfortunately, hardly any countries have passed these two critical pieces of legislation, with many bills still going through slow and painful parliamentary and administrative processes, even as corruption runs rampant in some countries.
The lack of implementation, he said, raises serious questions about commitment to the Vision being celebrated.
Singh stressed that the region is morally bound to do better, because corruption is predatory and parasitic by nature and disproportionately affects vulnerable populations — including women, persons with disabilities, youth and the elderly.
He pointed out that about 25 per cent — or one in four people — in the Pacific live in poverty, and around 40 per cent of Pacific children are at risk of falling below the poverty line.
“These are kids. We should all be very concerned about this,” he said, describing the situation as an urgent call for meaningful action and actual outcomes.
While acknowledging that progress has been made in some areas, Singh admitted his presentation may have sounded negative, but the reality demanded honesty.
Like corruption, he said, poverty was also an old enemy of the Pacific and the two were closely linked.
“They are relatives,” he said.
“We cannot quite get rid of one without dealing with the other.”
If the region is serious about eliminating poverty, he argued, it must tackle corruption decisively. History, he said, indicates that both corruption and poverty will remain unwanted companions unless the Pacific changes the way it normally operates.
“Maybe some things need to change,” he added.
Singh said the onus, as emphasised in the vision itself, lay largely with leadership — those entrusted with and well compensated to govern.
He said leaders must commit to accountable governance, ensuring that all persons with authority, including Cabinet ministers, parliamentarians and public servants, adhere strictly to their codes of conduct.
“The question is, are our parliamentarians adhering to the vision statement, or are these just empty words?” he asked.
Echoing Transparency International, he said Pacific leaders must act with conviction to build a region founded on integrity and public trust.
“All anti-corruption actions are worth the effort,” he said, noting that the world’s most prosperous and progressive countries are also among the least corrupt.
He cited neighbouring countries Australia and New Zealand, which consistently rank highly on global corruption indices, as examples.
“The message for the Pacific is unambiguous,” Singh said.
“We have to drown corruption before we can dream of an ocean of peace and prosperity.”