Contract finally signed for Kerema water project

Caption: Raka Taviri (left) and Meck Luo

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, October 27, 2013 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

DESPITE delays earlier on in the year, the construction of the first stage of the Kerema Water Supply Project will finally commence after the signing of the contract awarded to Jiangsu International Group (JCI) by Water PNG last week in Port Moresby.

The contract was tendered and awarded in compliance with the Public Finances Management Act requirements to the Chinese contractor at the cost of over K3.2 million.

With the source of the water to be derived from bores- the entire project consists of three stages, with stage one and two use existing bores and the third will further investigate surface water availability as possible sources to meet the demand of the residents in the township.

Stage one will see equipping and commissioning of an existing bore hole that was recently re-developed in a separate contract arrangement- it will also see construction of mains to connect storage tanks, installation of chlorination treatment facility, standby generator, home meters, and fire hydrants.

The stage will mainly cover the town area with connections to the school, hospital, hotel, and a number of residences in the town area- taking four months to complete the first phase will be supervised by Water PNG.

Acting Chief Executive of Water PNG Raka Taviri before signing the contract said the project was rare for Kerema Town, being a dry place with no existing water supply service- with its residents relying entirely on rain water for portable water needs.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the successful tender of the contract to China Jiangsu International.” 

“JCI have been our partners in terms of water supply and sanitation construction in Papua New Guinea, and they have been successful again in terms of this tender.”

“I believe around April or May of next year Kerema will have water supply that is fit for human consumption,” he said.

With the completion of stage one to have an output of seven litres per second- Taviri added that the total demand in the township was about 10 litres per second with a population of 7,500 residents, would be achieved once stage two was completed at an additional cost K5.3 to K5.5 million.

He said that the microscope was now on the Gulf Province in terms of the second LNG projects to come from the province.

Total cost of the whole project is at K20 million, with funding already available for the second stage.

Meck Luo from JCI said that they were appreciated the awarding of the contract to JCI.

“On behalf of our management it is a very high honour for us to have the opportunity and duty to take part in the development of Kerema Town.”

JCI has been long associated with water projects throughout the country’s townships and urban centres- with previous projects in Wabag, Madang, Maprik, Finchafen, and Kokopo to name some. 

The ground-breaking ceremony will take place this week at the township.