Miner helps Wabag get eye clinic

 THE Wabag General Hospital in Enga now has an eye clinic under the tax credit scheme (TCS) managed by Barrick (Niugini) Ltd. 

The clinic was built by local contractor Sambe Builders at a cost of K136,856. 

Barrick’s community relations manager Timothy Andambo handed over the keys to Wabag district administrator Luke Wayion and the hospital’s acting chief executive officer Dr Guboro Urae on May 12.

Andambo said Barrick was pleased to deliver such services and projects back to the communities stressing that while tax credit was government money, Barrick was the project manager.

He said Barrick was working on a revised procurement policy to look at encouraging more local contractor participation under structured guidelines. 

He added that with the revised direction on the policy, Barrick would need to see some alignment on the part of the provincial leaders to utilise the tax credit to best serve the people. 

“We want to give contracts to locals. If a tax credit project is being undertaken in Wabag, we want contractors from Wabag to be involved,” Andambo said.

“If it is Laigam, contractors from Laiagam should be involved. That is our direction for procurement.”

Sambe Builders director Titus Usukuni said the project was the second engagement the local contractor had with Barrick.