The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has strengthened its fight against corruption by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Internal Revenue Commission last Friday.  

This landmark agreement aims to enhance cooperation in preventing, detecting, and addressing corruption within Papua New Guinea’s revenue and taxation systems. 

The partnership establishes a framework for: 

• Responsible information sharing between agencies 

• Coordinated case referrals for timely action 

• Joint initiatives to improve integrity and accountability in revenue administration 

It also opens opportunities for collaborative training, systems assessments, and advisory support, enabling both organisations to address corruption risks more effectively. 

ICAC Acting Commissioner Thomas Eluh highlighted the importance of this collaboration: 

“This MoU marks an important step forward in our mutual effort to deter corruption risks. Internal revenue is vital to national development, but corruption remains a significant challenge within these systems. The MoU enables ICAC and IRC to work closely together to strengthen our ability to detect tax and financial irregularities, and close systemic gaps that allow corruption to thrive,” said Mr. Eluh. 

IRC Commissioner General Sam Koim echoed similar sentiments, emphasising the value of institutional cooperation: 

“This partnership strengthens the IRC as we continue modernising our operations and improving the integrity of our tax systems. By working closely together, IRC and ICAC can close loopholes, strengthen compliance, safeguard public revenue, and reinforce public confidence in our tax system. The MoU reflects our commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical administration, and demonstrates the importance of collaboration in protecting Papua New Guinea’s revenue.” 

This partnership reinforces government efforts to strengthen governance, ensure transparency, and protect public resources. It builds on ICAC’s expanding network of inter-agency collaborations designed to reinforce resilience against corruption.