A new report from the Australian-based Centre for Independent Studies says alarm bells should be ringing about crime rates and economic decline in Papua New Guinea.

The report says PNG's development rate is 10 years behind other Melanesian countries and says its social development level is closer to sub-Saharan Africa than to its Asian Pacific neighbours.

The report blames corruption for the lack of progress but the PNG Social welfare Minister Lady Carol Kidu says the problems are more complex.

She says PNG has actually made good progress considering the cultural and geographical hurdles it faces:

"We are trying to build one nation out of 800 nations, out of 800 tribes, and the cultures of those tribes are sometimes as difficult as chalk and cheese. I think with the present state in the world, I dont think any world nations can point the finger at Papua New Guinea when we see the state of the world in terms of violence and aggression."

I strongly support Lady Carol Kidu for the positive stand she took to defend our country. Over the past weeeks, there has been some negative publicity over PNG and I think we should tell them staight that we can solve our own problems and take the kind of steps that Lady Kidu has done.

Sonwil