Awesa focuses on infrastructure body

By SONIA KENU    
LEGISLATION to establish the Independent Infrastructure Development Authority will be presented in the next sitting of parliament.
Works and Implementation Minister Francis Awesa confirmed he would introduce the enabling bill for an act to make the authority a legal entity.
He said the primary functions of the authority was to ensure public procurement, contract supervision and management of all government projects were successfully implemented.
“Central Supply and Tenders Board will be removed from finance department and vested under this authority,” Awesa said.
“Also, the roles and responsibilities of the existing National Roads Authority will come under the authority. 
The minister said that no contract would be awarded to companies that were not registered, did not have financial credentials and had not paid taxes to the state.
“I was confronted with a major challenge upon becoming the minister for transport and works in August 2011 in the O’Neill government,” he said.
“I welcome the statement by Task Force Sweep chairman Sam Koim that one of the contributing factors is corruption in the procurement, supervision and contract management.
“Since public procurement and contracting is the main way the government operates and spends money to fulfil its public obligations, it must be protected at all times.
“I realised that the major transport infrastructure, Papua New Guinea’s most important asset, was collapsing right in front of our very eyes.
 “I have made it a focus of my department to eradicate corruption and improve the delivery of services to our people.
“The department of works and implementation recognises the challenges and invites all sectors of the community not to tolerate corruption,” Awesa said.