Games catch-up starts

By HENRY MORABANG
PAPUA New Guinea is two years behind in preparations for the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby because of political instability, 2015 Pacific Games Minister Justin Tkatchencko, says.
Tkatchencko said this when he officially tendered out the Taurama Aquatic Centre and Indoor Complex and the Games Village at the University of PNG main campus, Waigani.
The Games will be held from July 4-18, 2015.
Tkatchenko said when the O’Neill government came into power the country was already two years behind schedule.
“Since then, in the past six months, we have been full steam ahead to ensure everything is done and thanks to the Venue Infrastructure Equipment Committee (VIEC),” he said.
Tkatchencko said there had been a directive from Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to all departmental heads to consider the 2015 Games as of national importance.
“It is a very, very important Games. We all, departmental heads and public servants, must drop everything and help concentrate on the Games as national importance.”
He said he had a deadline to meet and the country should not repeat what happened during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, where construction work continued during the Games.
 “I don’t want to see that happen while I am the minister. This is a lot of bullshit and everything must be completed and in order before the Games starts,” he said.
He said he would ensure 2015 Pacific Games chief executive officer Peter Stewart made sure everything must be finished on time.
“There was a bad experience in the 2011 Pacific Games where PNG athletes were forced into the uncompleted dormitories at the University of New Caledonia and this must not happen when PNG hosts its island visitors.”
VIEC chairwoman, Mel Donald said there was no government funding in the past three years despite the commitment by successive governments. The funding was made available last April by the then O’Neill-Namah regime.