Provincial administrators, district leaders and senior public servants have been called upon to take greater ownership of the fight against corruption, with Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) leaders stressing that integrity and accountability begin at the leadership level.

The message was delivered during the third Commissioners’ Regional Breakfast for the Southern Region in Port Moresby, where Acting Commissioner Retired Judge Don Sawong and Acting Deputy Commissioner Thomas Eluh addressed provincial leaders under the theme “Engaging Provincial Leadership: Promoting Integrity and Accountability through Partnerships.”

AC Sawong told participants that corruption should not be viewed solely as a law enforcement issue.

“Corruption is not simply a problem for the ICAC to deal with. It is a governance problem. And governance is a leadership responsibility,” he said.

He described corruption as the abuse of power, position or authority for personal gain, noting that its consequences are seen every day through poor service delivery, weakened institutions and wasted public resources.

Echoing the Acting Commissioner’s call for leadership-driven reform, ADC Eluh said corruption prevention begins with a willingness to confront reality and address governance shortcomings openly and honestly.

“Acknowledgement is not blame. Acknowledgement is leadership. It is the courage to say yes, there are problems, and yes, we must fix them,”he said.

“We cannot fix what we refuse to face. We cannot strengthen systems we pretend are functioning.”

Both leaders stressed that corruption prevention starts with leadership that is willing to confront challenges, promote transparency and strengthen systems before problems escalate into investigations.

AC Sawong reminded officials that public trust is built through the decisions they make every day.

“Ultimately, the trust that citizens place in government is built, or lost, through the actions and decisions taken in offices such as yours every day,”he said.

The Commissioners encouraged provincial leaders to see themselves as custodians of public trust and partners in building a stronger, more accountable public sector.