Quake’s K200mil bill in Hela only ‘half the cost’

THE damage caused by the earthquake on 50 per cent of the health and education sector in Hela is estimated to cost around K200 million, according to a preliminary report.
The report compiled by the Works Department and an international engineering firm was presented to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in Port Moresby before Parliament sat yesterday.
O’Neill said the Government through the Restoration Authority and the Emergency Response controller would be working with provincial and district governments to provide restoration work.
Hela Governor Philip Undialu told The National yesterday that the K200 million covered only 50 per cent of the damage done to the health and education sector alone.
“The report covers around 80 per cent of Tari Pori, 40 per cent of Komo Margarima and 40 per cent of Koroba Lake-Kopiago electorate.
“If we cover the entire province, it seems the damage done to the health and education sector alone will cost K300 to K400 million.
“When you include roads and bridge infrastructure, law and order, business and private residence, it will run into millions more.”
He said the province did not have such money to rebuild. They plan therefore to create an inventory of the damage and the needs they have and “attend to it bit by bit”.
“I also think the Government does not have the money to assist us but through partnership and teamwork, we can make progress in the right direction.”
Undialu said the assessment of damage on the entire province could not be completed all at once because some parts of the province were still cut off because of damage to roads.