Maritime college secures K5.8 million

 I WRITE about a grave concern from the PNG Maritime College, one of Papua New Guinea’s premier institutions. 

The college has been in the limelight this week following the signing of a hefty deal of K5.8 million for the refurbishment and improvement of facilities at the Madang campus. 

As a seafarer and a former student of the college, I am delighted that changes are taking place with the upgrade of facilities and equipment. It has taken a long time coming. The college management must be commended for the effort to bring such positive changes with the aim of providing quality output and results from the country’s oldest maritime institution which produced a lot of seafarers some of whom are now working and living overseas. 

My concern is the overall project management. The project involves millions of kina which must be acquitted upon completion. 

The K5.8 million from the incentive fund is a substantial amount that must be appropriated accordingly. I have two questions: Why would the college principal Richard Coleman be the manager of the project?; and why can’t the PNG Maritime College outsource the project to an independent firm to manage?

It is fine under the Revised Government General Orders (2003) Part 12.1 section(g) to manage a project as such. However, has the PNG maritime board and management taken into consideration the workload managing a college and a project all at the same time? 

There are outstanding in-house matters yet to be resolved. They need the total attention of the PNGMC board and management. 

Lecturers from both departments, nautical and engineering are on the verge of resigning and moving on. Some answers needed here, PNGMC.

Seafarer for Life

Madang