IS DENATIONALISATION OF CITIZENS HELD EXECUTIVE POSITIONS IN PNG @51, ALSO MEAN LEADERSHIP DEPENDENCE?
IS DENATIONALISATION OF CITIZENS HELD EXECUTIVE POSITIONS IN PNG @51, ALSO MEAN LEADERSHIP DEPENDENCE?
Many years ago, I terminated nearly 100 non-national employees in a single day. The decision was lawful, justified and necessary to create space for qualified Papua New Guineans. It prompted the Prime Minister of the day to ask: “Who is Jerry Wemin?”
But removing expatriates was only half the job. We invested more than K1 million annually over 3–5 years in training, coaching, mentoring and preparing nationals to take over. My conviction has never changed: Papua New Guineans are capable, but capability must be deliberately developed, trusted and given opportunity.
As PNG marks its 51st Independence Anniversary, we must confront an uncomfortable contradiction. In parts of both the private and public sectors, SOEs, listed companies and PNG-owned businesses, executive positions once held by nationals are increasingly being filled by non-nationals.
If a Board replaces a competent national executive with a non-national, it should explain why. Was there no qualified Papua New Guinean? Was succession planning neglected? Was leadership development underfunded? Or were governance, trust, ethics, performance or political interference the real issues?
Denationalisation of senior roles is not simply a recruitment issue. It may signal a deeper national failure: weak succession planning, poor leadership pipelines, inadequate mentoring, cronyism, political interference and the recycling of the same leaders while younger professionals remain unprepared or overlooked.
Non-nationals have an important place in PNG, especially in specialised, technical and advisory roles. But they should not be imported at premium cost to perform work that competent Papua New Guineans can already do. That is not capacity building. That is dependency.
At 51, political independence is not enough. We must pursue economic independence, institutional independence and leadership independence.
Every major organisation should have a visible national succession plan.
Every expatriate appointment should include a knowledge-transfer obligation. Every Board should be accountable for developing the next generation of Papua New Guinean CEOs, executives and professionals.
The question for our 51st anniversary is simple: After more than half a century of independence, are we deliberately preparing Papua New Guineans to lead Papua New Guinea? If not, then when? Do you know of positions that have been “denationalised” in recent years?
Many years ago, I terminated nearly 100 non-national employees in a single day. The decision was lawful, justified and necessary to create space for qualified Papua New Guineans. It prompted the Prime Minister of the day to ask: “Who is Jerry Wemin?”
But removing expatriates was only half the job. We invested more than K1 million annually over 3–5 years in training, coaching, mentoring and preparing nationals to take over. My conviction has never changed: Papua New Guineans are capable, but capability must be deliberately developed, trusted and given opportunity.
As PNG marks its 51st Independence Anniversary, we must confront an uncomfortable contradiction. In parts of both the private and public sectors, SOEs, listed companies and PNG-owned businesses, executive positions once held by nationals are increasingly being filled by non-nationals.
If a Board replaces a competent national executive with a non-national, it should explain why. Was there no qualified Papua New Guinean? Was succession planning neglected? Was leadership development underfunded? Or were governance, trust, ethics, performance or political interference the real issues?
Denationalisation of senior roles is not simply a recruitment issue. It may signal a deeper national failure: weak succession planning, poor leadership pipelines, inadequate mentoring, cronyism, political interference and the recycling of the same leaders while younger professionals remain unprepared or overlooked.
Non-nationals have an important place in PNG, especially in specialised, technical and advisory roles. But they should not be imported at premium cost to perform work that competent Papua New Guineans can already do. That is not capacity building. That is dependency.
At 51, political independence is not enough. We must pursue economic independence, institutional independence and leadership independence.
Every major organisation should have a visible national succession plan.
Every expatriate appointment should include a knowledge-transfer obligation. Every Board should be accountable for developing the next generation of Papua New Guinean CEOs, executives and professionals.
The question for our 51st anniversary is simple: After more than half a century of independence, are we deliberately preparing Papua New Guineans to lead Papua New Guinea? If not, then when? Do you know of positions that have been “denationalised” in recent years?
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