Delay to Games work
The National, Tuesday 23rd April 2013
By HENRY MORABANG
WORK on 2015 Pacific Games infrastructure, including the Games Village, is likely to be delayed for another three months.
The Central Supply and Tenders Board yesterday advertised for tenders on provision of project management and supervision and consultancy services for the management and supervision of four sporting projects.
The CSTB advertisement was endorsed by chairman Philip Eludeme and it invited written sealed bids for project management and consultancy services for infrastructure projects for the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby.
The bid is done on behalf of the Venue Infrastructure and Equipment Committee to manage, supervise and provide consultancy services for management and supervision of the Games Village, the Taurama Aquatic Centre, the Sir John Guise Outdoor Stadium, the Sir John Guise Indoor Stadium and the Rita Flynn Netball Courts.
According to the VIEC’s original dates, work on the Games venues should have started last month and be completed by January, 2015.
A recent visit to the Games Village site at the University of Papua New Guinea showed no change to the empty savannah land stretching from the back of the university to the Morata Hills and towards PNG IPA.
The construction of the Sir John Guise Outdoor Stadium was to start in May, construction of the Taurama Aquatic Centre should have started in January but nothing has been done until demolition works started two weeks ago.
The closing dates and time for the tender document is May 2, when work on most of the sporting venues is supposed to start.
The Rita Flynn Court is set for construction in May but with the late invitation for bids a further delay is expected before work starts on the K9 million netball courts.
According to source close to CSTB, the delay in invitation of the bid is the result of political interference.
“We cannot do much as there has been a lot of political interference as the politicians want their own company or their connection to have cuts in those bids for the 2015 Pacific Games infrastructure,” the source said.
The source said public servants were trying their best to deliver the games as a matter of national importance, but it was the politicians who were dragging the process for their self-interest.
Minister for Sports and 2015 Pacific Games, Justin Tkatchenko is tight-lipped about the delay in issuing contracts or why the bid for the infrastructure was advertised this week.