Officers caught taking bribes face K2mil fine

NATIONAL Procurement Commission (NPC) officers found accepting bribery for government contracts will be fined up to K2 million or face up to 15 years in jail.
Chief executive Simon Bole told The National that under the new National Procurement Act 2018, a company or a group of people found to have used corrupt practices or paid bribes to officers within the commission to win contracts would be heavily penalised.
Bole called on all officers within the commission to work with integrity and honesty.
He said that starting this month, all tenders including those of statutory bodies like NCDC and the Health Department would come through the commission.
“Under the new Act, the NPC will be managing all government contracts and projects, including those of statuary bodies,” he said.
“All this was done to ensure that there is transparency in the tendering and awarding of government contracts.”
Bole said that all government contracts under K10 million would strictly be for nationals only.
“And any contract between K10 million and K30 million will strictly be only open to companies who are willing to work in partnership with nationally owned companies in a 50 -50 per cent understanding.”
Bole said that this was done so that Papua New Guineans could have the opportunity to take part in the country’s development and economy.