Wenge slams award of Lae road contract
By MADELEINE AREK
THE K11 million Lae road rehabilitation contract won by local landowner company Ahi Holdings and a partner has drawn criticism from Morobe Governor Luther Wenge.
Mr Wenge said yesterday that with so much criticism levelled against the Morobe provincial government’s inaction over Lae roads, he would not stand back and see this project given under unscrupulous terms to companies that had nothing to show.
He said it is in the best interest of the people of Morobe that any work on the Lae roads was “done by reputable companies that have a proven track record”.
He said he would not allow politics to weave its way into this project and would make sure that if there is any political interference, those concerned are dealt with.
“There may be political influence and manipulation in the award and I have asked that the matter be thoroughly investigated by relevant authorities.
The budget priority committee, which is made up of all the province’s parliamentarians, resolved that the concerns over the award of the contract be publicly raised and opposition to the award be made in the strongest terms to the National Government,” Mr Wenge said.
He described the awarding of the contract as “a clear breach of proper procedures and suspicious in all the circumstances”.
He said the awarding of the K11 million contract directly contradicted what the committee stood for: transparency.
Mr Wenge also fired a broadside at the Central Supply and Tenders Board (CSTB) over its handling of the contract, saying the procedures followed in the awarding of the contract were illegal.
According to a statement released by Mr Wenge, a project document on Lae roads was never submitted by the National Works Department to the technical rapid response committee as required by financial instruction No 4/2007.
The CSTB was also instructed to award the contract by way of certificate of inexpediency on close tender to one contractor.
However,both decisions contrary to the legal procedures followed in the awarding of contracts.
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