City Hall refutes contract claim

PORT Moresby’s City Manager Bernard Kipit has denied awarding a K500,000 per month security contract at the multi-million kina Gordon market in Port Moresby, saying it would be “an act of insanity”.
He was responding to a post on social media that the contract for the security arrangements at the new K30 million market cost K500,000 a month.
“If there was ever an award of K500,000 monthly contract to a security company at Gordon market, this would be an act of insanity with a corrupt and criminal intent,” he said.
“I deny awarding such a lucrative contract to a security company for the Gordon market.”
Kipit said the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) was spending only between K90,000 and K100,000 a month for security arrangements at the new market, involving 80 guards working shifts.
He said the arrangement was assisted by the involvement of the NCDC internal security officers and police from the nearby station.
He said the engagement was temporary while a long-term contract was being worked out.
“The long-term security will follow the public tender process in compliance with the requirements of the National Procurement Commission as is the case now for all procurements by the commission,” he said.
He said security at the K30 million market funded by New Zealand and the NCDC was given priority for the safety and welfare of the vendors, the customers and general maintenance of the new facility.
“It is important that the magnitude of such investment should be protected at all cost from the beginning,” he said.