By BONNIE ABOLA
THE Lae City Council and the Works Department seem to be trading blame for the delay in the sealing of the pot-hole riddled roads.
While the buck passing continues, K25 million is sitting in a trust account at Waigani.
And Nawae MP Timothy Bonga is supporting Works’ claim that it did not have proper documentation.
He said the lack of cooperation was holding back rehabilitation.
Mr Bonga has seen work continue on a light scale with streets being graded and potholes being filled with gravel, only to be washed away by rain.
But the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee said that the K25 million, allocated by the Government in the 2008 budget, was still in a trust account and had not been released because project documents on Lae road plans haven’t been received by the Works Department.
Lae City Council vehemently denies these claims. According to a city hall source, these documents were given to the National Works Department six months ago during the handing down of the K25 million in the Supplementary Budget.
Mr Bonga has also called on Lae MP Bart Philemon to “grab hold of the Lae City Council” and then look to the Government for further assistance.