Kaupa wants to cancel NHC sale

THE sale of a National Housing Corporation house in Wewak by the management was not done properly and did not follow the proper processes and procedures, says Housing Minister John Kaupa.
He said two foreign companies bought the house, one with a K400,000 cheque and the other with K500,000 in cash.
Kaupa said his bigger aim was to get back the house and he would establish proper dialogue with the two companies involved to have their money reimbursed or come to an amicable solution to address the issue.
He was responding to Ambunti-Dreikikir MP Johnson Wapunai who asked in Parliament on Friday if the minister was aware of the NHC property being sold.
The minister said the plan for the sale of the house did not reach the board for approval and he had written to Lands and Physical Planning Minister Justin Tkatchenko about the issue and found out that the land title was fake.
“I am now in the process of taking the house back to NHC because there was no proper process followed,” Kaupa said.
“A similar thing had happened in other parts of the country and today we (Kaupa and Tkatchenko) are working together to get those back.
“We will also deal with other properties belonging to NHC and we are slowly checking if due processes were followed in the selling of those properties.”
Kaupa said he had made a submission to the National Executive Council for the approval of a recovery exercise that would involve police and other stakeholders to participate in the nationwide recovery exercise to establish an asset registry.
He said it was before the NEC for approval and once funding was made available, they would move into the provinces for the recovery exercise.
“This government is emphasising on building more houses for its public servants and ordinary citizens. We will make sure properties belonging to the State are recouped,” Kaupa said.
He said investigations were underway and those implicated would be punished.