PNG Election Preparations Shadowed by Corruption Concerns

 PAPUA New Guinea’s governance systems are under fresh pressure after a new global corruption index placed the country among the 30 lowest-scoring nations worldwide.

The warning comes as PNG prepares for the 2027 General Election, with Transparency International Papua New Guinea revealing that the country scored 26 out of 100 in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index.

PNG Election Preparations Shadowed by Corruption Concerns

The latest result represents a four-point fall from 2024 and places PNG 17 points below the global average and 19 points behind the Asia-Pacific regional average.

The CPI reviews 182 countries and territories, examining issues such as bribery, misappropriation of public funds, favouritism in public office and the strength of anti-corruption frameworks.

TIPNG partnerships and policy adviser Yuambari Haihuie said the numbers reflect a worrying direction.

“These are concerning statistics as it shows that we are falling back,” he said.

He added that historical data indicates changes in corruption scores around election periods.

“The trend shows the change in the CPI score before an election year and this trend can show what we can expect in 2027. The link between corruption and democracy is evident.”

Among the proposed actions are proper resourcing of the Electoral Commission, regular coordination through the Inter-Department Elections Committee, implementation of the Special Parliamentary Committee’s findings on the 2022 election, and stronger collaboration between the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the National Coordinating Committee and police.

TIPNG chief executive officer Arianne Kassman said the pattern must not be ignored.

“The drop in PNG’s 2025 CPI score is not an isolated result; it demonstrates a multi-year trend linked with our electoral cycle,” she said.

“PNG’s scores show a pattern of slight improvement over five years, followed by a sharp decline during election year — a cycle that must be broken to ensure a fair 2027 election. What we do in 2026 will determine the integrity of our democracy in 2027.”