[Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat deputy secretary general Dr. Filimon Manoni says that corruption diverts much-needed development funds away from basic services and infrastructure.
Speaking at the Pacific Anti-Corruption Regional Conference, Dr Manoni says this therefore feeds inequality, injustice, poverty, and the much-needed economic development and prosperity.
Dr Manoni says as a region, we learnt very quickly about how unprepared we were to absorb the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic when it arrived on our shores in 2020.
He says this exposed the unfortunate but true underbelly of vulnerabilities in economic development, health infrastructure, quality education and social and societal challenges.
Dr. Manoni stresses endemic corruption is the enemy of progress, growth and economic development.
He shares that this regional conference is timely as it provides an opportunity for regional states to take stock once again of where they are in terms of individual experiences and no doubt to examine how they have fared so far as a region on this important issue, and where they would need to get to.