District to give out contracts

Yangoru-Saussia in East Sepik can approve contracts worth up to K2.5 million for service delivery after confirming its procurement committee, an official says.
National Procurement Commission (NPC) chairman Kenneth Thomson said this during the swearing-in of committee members by chief executive officer Simon Bole and Magistrate Garry Unjo in the presence of local MP Richard Maru in Port Moresby on Friday.
“The NPC board is now dedicating the powers to you at the district level to start procuring goods and services beyond the K500,000 threshold limit that you have been (previously) confined too,” he said.
“You can now procure goods and services up to K2.5 million.”
The committee comprises administrator Jacob Yafai, finance manager David Manil, justice, law and order representative Geoffrey Wafi and women’s representative Lucy Gavalalu Silam.
According to Thomson, the establishment of provincial and district procurement committees are important in terms of development and goods and services delivery at the community level.
He said the bulk of the population lived in rural areas and they needed basic goods and services.
Thomson said goods and services were delivered in urban centres effectively than those at the provincial and district level.
“Most of the time we are stagnant in Port Moresby and Lae while the bulk of the people in rural areas are forgotten,” he said.
He said the rate and progress of services and development in the district would be improved through this committee.
Meanwhile, Bole said the district procurement committees had the power to deal with contracts worth K2.5 million and below. He said all projects that the committee want to procure for needed to be advertised.
“Advertise them in the two dallies and not over social media or on notice boards,” Bole said.