We, the children of PNG citizens living abroad, children originally born in PNG to foreigners (former residents), children born to one or two PNG citizen residents living abroad, children born in PNG to parents whom renounced original PNG citizenship, and children technically excluded from citizenry through and by statutory stipulations under the PNG Citizenship Act, hereby petition the PNG Government to consider granting us PNG Dual Citizenship now.
Whilst it is the Government's and the National Parliament's sole constitutional and legislative prerogative to preserve and enforce intergrity of the PNG Citizenship Act, it is, we feel at this day and age, concomitantly counter-productive and misguided to retain the Citizenship Act at current status quo. We strongly urge the government to review and ultimately legislate necessary amendments to the Dual Citizenship clauses within the Citizenship Act for the benefit of all of us living abroad. We are, by and through hereditary, traditional, birth-right and/or otherwise, PNG citizens and therefore should be recognised as such.
Apart from the fact that it is now becoming global trend with many countries affording/reinstating dual citizenship, the benefits of having dual citizenship are obvious and consequently far out-weighs any negative and detrimental impact to PNG. Amongst other advantages, dual citizenship entails:
- encouragement of economic and foreign direct investment incentives and opportunities;
- expansion and retainment of skilled and knowledgeable workforce;
- introduction and expansion of innovative ideas to grow the economy;
- expansion to PNG's tax base with "new" citizens through formal statutory obligations such as dual taxation and levies on property ownership;
- formal recognition of "new" citizens as fiscal sector contributors to the national coffers (reserves).
- preservation and promotion of hereditary bond, connection and pride between families and relatives in-country and abroad;
- travel expediency between countries of dual citizenship thereby curtailing unnecessary workload on PNG immigration and customs workforce.
Grant dual citizenship now for our children and PNG's overall benefit.
