Marape urges staff to be focused

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday October 17th, 2014

 FINANCE Minister James Marape says it is “business as usual” at National Housing Estate Ltd and staff should not be deterred by comments from National Housing Corporation acting managing director John Dege.

He said that after a meeting with Housing Minister and fellow NHEL shareholder Paul Isikiel and staff of the organisation yesterday.

Marape and Isikiel hold 50% each in NHEL shares on the State’s behalf.

“We’ve just completed a scrutiny of the company and we’ve directed the board to sit,” Marape told reporters.

“The board will sit, the management still exists, it’s business as usual and the company must run.

“It’s a small company but is a very important setup by government to try and ensure that we meet our society’s need for better, affordable housing.

“After the shareholders’ meeting, we encouraged the staff to remain focused, not to worry about issues that grab headlines – these things come and go but your work is important. It’s a little organisation but it should come out big and operate as a company that provides better, cheap, and affordable housing for our people.

“We told our staff to remain focused. Life goes on after our shareholders’ meeting.”

Marape said all staff members were working together as “one unit” after recent problems at NHEL.

“We’ve got a bigger agenda to provide affordable accommodation to our people and that’s more important than one man’s agenda,” he said.

Asked about the National Housing Authority proposed by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Marape said: “That’s outside of the domain of the National Housing Estate Ltd, but what I can say is that NHEL will remain as a company to try to deliver and provide.

“We just hope that NHEL, with the programmes and policies they’ve got in place, will try to influence the market of real estate in the city.”

Asked to comment on Dege’s outburst last week, Marape said: “Well, John (Dege) has his views from National Housing Corporation.

“National Housing Corporation has some affinity to National Housing Estate Ltd – they are sister companies.

“Our view is that both organisations remain but we will have to define their relationship.

“That’s something that we will work on in due course.”

Asked about the National Housing Authority proposed by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Marape said: “Those are outside of the domain of National Housing Estate Ltd, but what I can say is that NHEL will still remain as a company to try to deliver and provide.

“Even as a minister, I can’t afford K1, 000 a week housing rental in Port Moresby.

“We just hope that National Housing Estate Ltd, with the programmes and policies they’ve got in place, in due course will try to influence the market of real estate in the city.”