Gamato confirms ballot printing to be done overseas

(L) Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato and Opposition Leader Don Polye.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, January 22, 2017 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)



ELECTORAL Commissioner Patias Gamato has said that the printing of ballot papers for the elections will take place overseas- citing expensive Government Printer costs.

Responding to calls by the Opposition Leader Don Polye to confirm the printing of ballot paper for the 2017 General Elections to be done overseas in Indonesia and that the whole exercise would be more expensive than the state printer.

“I have reliable information from the commission that the printing of ballot papers will be done outside of Papua New Guinea.”

“The printing will not take place in Papua New guinea but outside. The question is why in a foreign land.”

“Can be done here much more cheaply than a private company that does them out of the country is so high, political interest. I call on him to use the government printer,” Polye said at a conference on Wednesday.

When Sunday Chronicle got in touch with the Electoral Commissioner, he said the printing bill presented to him by the government printer stood at K23 million.

“Under the law there is nothing stopping me from printing papers overseas. It’s not written in the law,” the commissioner said.

“We respect the government printer. Government printer does all the government documents, unfortunately, the quote for the government print, I gave the first right of refusal. They quoted me K23 million, and I said that was too expensive.”

“And they were still going to order papers overseas. I said no so I asked for quotations from local printers, PNG registered companies with partners overseas to bid. There are reputable companies who bid for the papers using their partners overseas.”

He said that tenders board decided to order ballot papers from overseas at a cost of K6.6 million.

“Compare K6.6 million from K23 million. K6.6 million includes, one that the ballot papers will be embedded with eight security features on the paper, and the transportation cost from Indonesia to Port Moresby is all at the cost of K6.6 million.”

“The third thing is that there is no influence from the current government coalition government. It is my responsibility and I take that responsibility to order papers overseas for the interest of the elections.”

“So what the opposition leaders is saying is dumbfounded and is all lies and should not be using the management and running of the election. It is my responsibility, he should be worried about what he is supposed to do as opposition leader and not come into my area of responsibility as a constitutional office holder.”