K227m road contracts for Lae

Caption: Shorncliffe Managing Director Sir Soekenda Tjandra signing the contracts at Government House.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, January 12, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

LAST week saw the signing of four major contracts worth over K227 million- signed to three contractors for the pavement, rehabilitation and concrete surfacing of major roads in Lae city.

The contracts were signed by Acting Governor General and Member for Rigo, Ano Pala in the absence of Sir Micheal Ogio.

Two of the four contracts were signed to Shorncliffe Limited- the first worth K24,512,582.95 for the concrete surfacing of Milford Haven Road from Buang Milford Road to the Bumbu Police Barracks Junction, and Butibam Road from China Town Roundabout Junction to Butibam Markham Road Junction in Lae.

Concrete surfacing of Boundary Road, Bumbu Road, Cassowary Road, Mogola Street, Malaita Street, and Jawani Street is the second contract to Shorncliffe worth K73,780,589.20.

East West Nambawan Limited was awarded the third contract of K67,260,743.79 for the concrete surfacing of Telikom Road, Igam Barracks Road, Orion Road, and Rigel Road.

The Fourth contract worth K61,624,084.29 f concrete surfacing of Busu Road from Malahang IFC (International ) Gate to Bumayong Market in Lae, Morobe Province was awarded to Dekenai Construction Limited.

In congratulating the contractors, Works Minister Francis Awesa said the signing concluded final contract works in Lae for the year.

“I make no apologies to anyone out there who have been criticising the government for the delays- saying that the funds put aside for the roads have been squandered,” he said.

“The funds have always been there and the delays have been caused by the fact that we changed the design from asphalt to concrete.”

“This is the first time this has happened in any major road construction undertaken in Papua New Guinea, and for that we had to get the standards right, the concrete strengths right in terms of MPA (measurement for road strength).

He also attributed the delays to the average timeframe it took in processes and procedures to get contracts tendered and approved.

“We have to get it right because Lae is an important city in our country, in terms of it being the industrial hub of the nation.”

Minister Awesa said that it was the start of many things to come for the city, and assured the residents, especially the businesses in Lae, that it was big commitment by the government to complete city’s roads to concrete pavement.

“Next year is another K100 million going towards Lae Roads,” he said.

“I congratulate the contractors, and with that on behalf of the government I want to get some assurance that you are going to deliver on time and deliver quality.”

“The testament of that will see how true your companies can deliver.”

He told the companies that it was a challenge for government to demonstrate that it was not going to be slack on the contractors.

“All eyes will be on the companies to deliver on the projects,” he said.