A governance specialist in Papua New Guinea says MPs have taken over the role of the state in delivery of basic services.
A senior researcher in Governance and Institutional Matters at the National Research Institute, Dr Henry Okole says basic services aren't delivered for most of PNG's people because money allocated for such things is often misused.
Dr Okole says a perception exists that the state is unable to deliver, therefore MPs must take on the role and award themselves large amounts of public funds.
But he says voters need to realise that responsibility for this belongs to the state whereas an MP is a lawmaker.
"Because if the people themselves know that it is not necessarily the role of the MP and if the institutions are strengthened, if the public service is strengthened to carry out the services, over time there will be a gradual - I hope - reduction on the pressure on the MPs to deliver, because MPs are always thinking about their own political survival whenever they do this."
Dr Henry Okole
