Veratau clarifies confusion

By PATRICIA KEAMO
PAPUA New Guinea Sports Foundation executive director Albert Veratau says the Rita Flynn Complex has already been open since receiving the directive from National Pandemic Controller David Manning on June 21.
“I am shocked to read (in one of the dailies, not The National) that we need to open the facility because it has been opened for about two weeks,” Veratau told The National yesterday.
“The National Capital District (NCD) provincial health authority has already started removing their equipment in the complex that was used for Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic operations.”
Veratau said Manning’s letter had directed his office to open the facility to allow for the NCD health authority staff to retrieve their equipment, commodities and other items by tomorrow.
“We complied with the directive and the day after receiving the letter, Rita Flynn was opened for the staff to access their equipment since last week,” Veratau said.
“There is no issue of the foundation not complying because all stakeholders involved in the discussions over the facility agreed for it to be opened,” he added.
Meanwhile, Veratau said the foundation did not receive any payment for the use of the complex because it was agreed that the venue would be used for free during the pandemic.
“When the venues were taken over (by the control centre), it was on the basis that it was a global pandemic and available government facilities would be used for free for Covid-19 operations,” he said.
“After discussions with the NCD health authority and the Health Department, we agreed to sign the venue user agreement to formalise it.
“We have been talking with the department to seek Government support to repair the damages.”