More claim underpayment

By PAUL SINGE
COMMUNITIES living on the Wandi and Mindima sections of the Highlands Highway in Kundiawa-Gembogl district, Chimbu, are unhappy with the payment made by Mori Resources under the Highlands Highway rehabilitations programme (HHRP).
They said several claimants received were far below what they had expected.
The Destiny Fellowship church, located within the 10m corridor of the highway at Wandi and built with metal roofing with tiled flooring was valued at K200,000 but was paid only K277.65 last week.
They said K199,722.65 was yet to be paid.
In another case, a claimant, Yomba Panda, who owns a semi-permanent  trade store with electrical fittings  valued at K25,000 was paid K111.06  on verification number 2898C and cheque number 589209  on the same date.
Former Waiye LLG president Nick Wigere, representing the Narku and Endugla tribes, said last Thursday similar problems were faced by other claimants who received payments.
Wigere said people were unhappy with the payment made by Mori Resource Ltd.
“We want the Department of Works to make payment because there were no proper awareness on the method of payments by the contractor and the constructor,” he said.
He said some property owners living up to 20m inland had not received payments while others living further away had received payment from Mori.
Wigere appealed to Works secretary Joel Luma to change the contractor.
Another frustrated community leader, Paul Kawagle, of Wandi village, said if this problem was not be addressed quickly and properly, communities “will be taking further action to protest”.
 “This is our traditional land and this is where our ancestors were buried, nobody has any right to move us away,” he said, adding that unhappy youths could do anything on the highway and would likely disturb the flow of goods and services.