New Ireland uses credit scheme to improve school facilities

NEW Ireland will this year use its provincial tax credit scheme to improve school facilities in the province, a senior official said.
Economic and Infrastructure Sector chairman Marius Soiat said in a statement on Monday the development and rehabilitation of schools was an important extension of the country’s education policy.
The programme, under the Lihir memorandum of agreement (MoA) tax credit scheme, will start with three secondary schools and six provincial high schools.
The infrastructure development will include the construction of classrooms, administrative buildings, science laboratories, economic buildings, dormitories and staff  houses.
The rehabilitation pro­gramme will include renovations to run down dormitories, classrooms, staff houses, kitchens, dining rooms as well as ablution blocks, power supplies and water supplies.
Soiat said such development would help improve the quality of education delivered by schools in the province. 
The projects will be managed by Pacific Architect Consortium.
Soiat said there were skilled and experienced contractors and builders in the province and they should be engaged as required under the MoA.
He said they should build capacity for their people and there were locally based contractors equally competitive and must be given the first choice.