Award more contracts to local contractors: Sir John

The National National

FINANCE Minister Sir John Pundari wants to strengthen the process of awarding contracts to locals and review the property-leasing agreement with private landlords.
Sir John said he wanted to further strengthen the National Procurement Commission (NPC) to award more projects to local contractors than foreigners.
“The leasing agreements of private buildings by the Government departments to use as offices have to be relooked at so we come up with an agreement to buy off those buildings,” he said.
Sir John said that during his welcoming ceremony at Apec Haus that the Government was all about empowering the ordinary people to take ownership of their resources.
“We can further improve on any grey area in the NPC Act,” he said.
“My views are that we have to look at the local contractors first.
“If there is absolutely none, then we can look outside.”
Sir John said the Government was spending about K200million annually to rent office spaces in private buildings for government departments and agencies.
“We have to cut down on this spending and come up with a proper agreement with landlords,” he said.
“We can come up with an agreement that after the landlord has collected all the rented fees that is equivalent to his expenses in constructing the building that we can own that building and not to continue paying rents.”
Finance secretary Dr John Ngangan, Department of Implementation and Rural Development secretary Aihi Vaki, Works secretary David Wereh and NPC chief executive officer Simon Bole attended Sir Ho welcoming ceremony.

2 comments

  • Good call Minister, about time. The alternative is simple. Build government offices in a central location in Port Moresby for all identified govt departments & allocate them. There will be more control for office occupation & staff movement to & from work. At least you are making a start in thinking & planning in the right direction. Thank you Minister Sir Pundari.

  • Property leasing and renting of private office building for gov’t departments must stop and hiring vehicles from wantoks must stop too.
    The Government must build its own office space for its department and start opening up the Works Transport arm again, to lease vehicles and machineries for local gov’t and others to tap into.

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