Opposition claims Taurama Road Contract awarded to prepared company

PORT MORESBY: The awarding of over K100 million Taurama road construction project to a company owned by those in power has angered Opposition Leader Don Pomb Polye.

Mr Polye questioned why Global Construction Company, which has been awarded most of the projects in the city, has again been given the green light ahead of other Papua New Guinean-owned companies.

“Is this because this company is owned by a cabinet minister or the Prime Minister,” asked Mr Polye.

“This is corruption at the highest level where a project at the tune of over K100 million is being awarded to a company owned by those in power and PNG’s tax payers forced to repay billions of kina in loan obtained for these projects,” Mr Polye said.

Mr Polye questioned Sports Minister Justine Tkatchenko’s involvement in awarding this contract to this particular company.

Tkatchenko who this week launched the multi-million kina road project also came under fire from Mr Polye for the incomplete structure on the Sir John Guise stadium.

“Why has Tkatchenko rushed over to launch the controversial Taurama road project without even completing the Sir John Guise stadium which is partially sitting on scaffolds,” questioned Mr Polye.

“The Minister and his Prime Minister gave an undertaking that this stadium would be completed prior to the Pacific games. Today, part of the stadium sits on scaffolds. Even the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium is still under construction,” Mr Polye said.

He described this as corrupt and a waste of tax payers’ money.

He also queried whether the government is paying so much attention to developing in the city whilst the rest of PNG is experiencing deterioration in all major roads.

Mr Polye urged every citizen to see what the government is up for.

“Loans worth billions of kina are obtained in the pretext of infrastructure developments and that these funds are selectively diverted to companies owned by the ministers which are awarded the contracts.

“Tax payers are then made to fork out of their pay to service these loans,” a frustrated Mr Polye said.

He said loans for the NCD roads were commercial and that a hefty interest rate would be repaid.

“It is a doing of someone who is economically illiterate.

“Those involved are deliberately committing the state or the city commission into more debts,” said Mr Polye.