No more contracts for poor work: PM

Main Stories, National
Source:

The National, Monday February 17th, 2014

 GOVERNMENT contractors that fail to perform or only carry out sub-standard work on major projects will not be given another contract, Prime Minster Peter O’Neill says.

He made the statement in parliament after Gulf Governor Havila Kavo asked whether the Government would engage a contractor again if it did not produce quality work. 

Kavo said millions of kina were paid to contractors to build roads but the road condition deteriorated over the years.

O’Neill said: “I agree with the governor that we hold contractors accountable for the work that they have done. 

“There are far too many stories are out there about huge variations that the contractors continue to seek every time they are out there trying to build roads that they have already made a bid on.

“Variations have become a sort of a culture. What we are trying to do is firstly reform the Central Supply and Tenders Board procurement process, including the board membership. We are now changing the entire process altogether.”

He said during the term of Sir Mekere Morauta as Prime Minister, under the reforms that were established and introduced, the then government shut down the entire Provincial Works Units as a result of that relying heavily on private contractors to carry out work.