Awesa announces measures to clamp down on contract issues

Caption:  Works Minister Francis Awesa.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, January 18, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

MINISTER for Works and Implementation Francis Awesa has announced new measures to combat contractor malpractice and other issues within his department.

He made the announcements on Friday during the launch of the 2015 Road Plan held in Port Moresby on Friday.

Awesa emphasized the issue of variations experienced by the department from road contractors, which he said was an issue that had to be stopped.

Variations occur when contractors are awarded contracts for specified amounts; however, contractors may not do the works to the specifications in the contract or may not complete projects citing various reasons to either save costs and in cases also asking for more funds.

“I want to inform contractors all the other stakeholders and donor agencies and the people of Papua New Guinea that variations have become an industry in itself, a lot of money has been wasted over many years,” Minister Awesa said.

“Today 2015 this will be a thing of the past, I have set a hotline telephone with the works ministry which will monitor all works funded by the national government, and donor agencies, and any complaints out there by people who are affected- we will take note and at short notice you will expect auditors, inspectors, who will come on site to make necessary recommendations and immediate action, starting immediately.”

In addition he also announced submissions to be made to cabinet to address the issue of compensation that has had a chronic hold on efforts to fix up national highways like the highlands highway.

“The issue of compensation is becoming more and more entrenched, also becoming an industry in its own,” he said.

“While the government is trying to spend hundreds of millions to billions of kina on roads, you have people out there who are fortunate to live along the road corridors who say that if we are to build their road we must pay them for my bush and some tree that is worth nothing.”

“This thing, this issue must stop- the government must take action, and I want to inform you today that there will be submissions to cabinet, and unless we address this issue all these things of spending millions of kina will never come.”

“People are killing contractor employees because of compensation, people are claiming thousands of kina for little sheds and it is going out of control, this is why the government intends to take action.”

The minister also called on those engineers and managers within his department to also refrain from abusing their positions for personal gain- challenging them to out into the real world and be businessman if they wanted to continue their activities.

“Many of you are allowing your relatives and yourselves to hiring vehicles or contracts to yourselves. This has to stop from today,” he said.

“If you want to be a businessman, you go out there and be that because you are already an engineer and you are trying to be a businessman, so why can’t you go and do it yourself outside and tender like everybody else and get the job.”

“The auditing and the people who are involved in these types of behavior must work on this issue that has gone on for too long.”

“You know what I am talking about, it has happened with money being given out on vehicles and the public is paying for it to allow them to run their private businesses.”