Potholes return as blame game continues

 AS if to make the most of it before Lae city roads are completely upgraded, the rain and potholes have returned with a vengeance on the travelling public.

Whatever rushed patchwork done on bad sections before Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s visit last month are now yawning potholes again. 

The bad weather is also stalling ongoing roadworks in the city, raising questions on the K100 million mentioned by O’Neill to upgrade roads.

The gloomy outlook is not helping the quest to ascertain if the fund is being expended or is still parked at Waigani.

O’Neill said road projects had to be tendered so that competent construction companies were identified before funds were released. 

That is while the four-lane Lae to Nadzab road slides alongside other multi-million kina infrastructure projects set to enhance the output of the industrial capital.

The advanced stage of the Lae wharf expansion project is indicative of the Government’s commitment to these projects.  

But with less than four months to go before the close of public accounts, Lae and Morobe have cause to be concerned about short-term projects. 

The balance of K30 million in development funds is sitting idle while budgeted projects for this year appear likely to be carried over to next year.

Governor Kelly Naru had blamed the provincial bureaucracy for the situation.   

He maintains that the province lacks bureaucratic efficiency rather than political will.

Naru claimed the bureaucracy is not releasing funds promptly for implementation of projects he had initiated throughout the province.  

This situation was amplified on Monday when a funding deal was signed for a council chamber and technical school to be built for Umi-Atzera LLG in Markham.  

Naru was surprised to learn of an outstanding commitment of K500,000 to the Markham oil palm project.

He slammed the bureaucracy again for the oversight and ordered acting provincial administrator Gioving Belong to pay it.   

The bureaucracy’s deafening silence over Naru’s tirade is  not surprising as most senior positions, including the provincial administrator’s, are on acting basis.

This could explain the difficulty of accessing funds from Waigani. 

The administrator’s position has been advertised and lobbying has begun at Waigani among politicians and their candidates for the job.

In the meantime, projects in the province are likely to be carried over to next year.