Row over building permit

 By CLEMENT KAUPA

A ROW is brewing between the Morobe building board and construction company KwikBuilt over the legality of the project it is undertaking at Buimo prison.

The board is arguing that the company had not applied for a building permit to carry out the project.

But KwikBuilt, a subsidiary of Hardware Haus, says it does not need a permit for that work.

Board chairman Marcel Oreke said he was not aware of any permit issued to the company for building projects at the Buimo prison facility and the Bumbu police barracks.

“I am the chairman (Morobe building board) and I did not sign any permit for KwikBuilt,” he said.

But Hardware Haus chief executive Richard McGuinness said the project was exempt from building board laws because it was catered for under a separate legislation. 

It applies also to the Bumbu Police Barracks, which Hardware Haus was in the process of sorting out, McGuinness said.   

Jacob Kumsoro, the principal certification officer and executive officer of the provincial building board,  said any project funded by taxpayers in Morobe came under the provincial building board.

“There is no such exemption, none as far as I am concerned,”  Kumsoro said.    

“KwikBuilt does not have a valid permit for the building project,” 

Kumsoro said the company was in breach of the PNG Building Act chapter 301. 

“I give KwikBuilt until Thursday (April 25) to submit their building documents to me or I will seek the board endorsement to issue a stop work notice on the building project.

“This is a public project and I do not want to obstruct its progress but the contractor must adhere to our rules and regulations. 

“That is all I want.”