Akunaii supports coffee project

 THE Eastern Highlands provincial administration supports the coffee rehabilitation work undertaken by the Coffee Industry Corporation through the productive partnerships in agriculture project, says acting provincial administrator Samson Akunaii.

He said improving and strengthening the coffee industry were important to the agriculture sector and growers in the province.

He urged stakeholders in the province to support the CIC to improve and strengthen the  industry which millions of farmers relied on.

Akunaii took part in a World Bank bid evaluation process conducted by the project recently. He was among provincial administration officers who met to evaluate five contractors to upgrade a five-kilometre feeder road which will help 20,000 smallholder coffee growers in Tairora reach the market.

The awarding of contract is expected to be announced before June by the Central Supply and Tenders Board. The World Bank’s bid evaluation process was rigorous and considered the performance record of contractors, financial capacity and annual financial turnovers.

The evaluation included a scoring and weighing system which CIC would use to justify the elimination process.

Project manager Potaisa Hombunaka thanked senior provincial administration officers and CIC officers for participating in the project’s first tender evaluation meeting.