Parkop: Calls for companies to improve service delivery

NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop has called on national companies to work hard and improve service delivery to ensure that contracts are awarded to Papua New Guineans.
Parkop at the opening of the Dorido road rehabilitation project on Saturday at June Valley, Tokarara in Port Moresby, said the only reason foreign companies were here and the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) continued to engage them was because nationals had not shown that they were capable of delivering such projects.
After witnessing the 1.4km road that linked the residential areas in Dorido and Mapa to the Koura Way road, it has restored the governor’s belief in that nationals could also deliver high quality services.
The project was undertaken by Mobile Works Ltd, a local engineering and construction company over a five-month period and was delivered on time and in the budget of K4.8 million.
Parkop said this was not the first road Mobile Works Ltd had worked on, as they had constructed the foundation of the by-pass road at Taurama which Global Construction was now working on.
“Today, Mobile Works has proven that our nationals can do it too, and from here on we must do more,” he said.
“Many times we Papua New Guineans criticise foreigners and other companies operating in the country, we engage foreigners because they work hard, they prove themselves and they deliver.
“It is our own fault that majority of the economy is controlled by foreigners, but today I can see that nationals are stepping up and Mobile Works is one such company and this should be an example for us Papua New Guineans.”
Parkop said he was aware that about 75 per cent of the youths from that area were employed by the company to construct the road and urged the residents to take ownership of their own hard work.
According to city manager Bernard Kipit, Mobile Works performed to the expectation and standard of the NCDC engineering requirements and the finished product was of a high standard.
Kipit emphasised that the engagement of the Mobile Works was in line with the government’s vision on encouraging local participants in major development projects.
Dorido community leader Nicholas Pakewa said the project had lifted the status of the community and restored pride in the residents.
Pakewa on behalf of the residents thanked Parkop and NCDC for the improvement.