Town fencing projects draw criticism

 TWO fencing projects in Madang town have attracted public comments and criticism in the last few weeks.

Many people have raised and shared views on the construction of the K1.5 million Madang provincial government fencing and the K200,000 fencing of the public cemetery.

Madang Governor Jim Kas came out on the local Tumbuna television last week accusing Madang MP Nixon Duban of having a hidden motives for issuing the fencing contract to a local contractor.

While the two leaders debated the issue, a number of town residents approached The National last week expressing concerns over the amounts of money used to construct the two fences around areas of about the same size.

Duban said he has no hidden motives behind the construction of the fencing at the public cemetery but saw it as an avenue to create employment for youths at a reasonable cost.

Town Mayor Joe Yama said the fencing project was awarded to Paul Suat Architect and Hand Design following a proposal presented to Madang Urban LLG. The submission was approved at the district development authority meeting. 

“This is a MULLG project as custodian of the public cemetery, not Nixon Duban’s hidden motive project,” Yama said.

David Pinga from Paul Suat Architect and Hand Design said youths from settlements including ex-convicts were recruited to do the fencing.

“An ex-convict who got his training in jail headed the team and we construct the fencing at the cemetery,” Pinga said.