EAST Sepik Governor Allan Bird has asked Works and Highways Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr why a contractor engaged by the Government two years ago to upgrade the Passam to Maprik Highway has not started work.
Bird said no work had been done since the Government’s announcement in 2024 to upgrade the 120km highway at a cost of K83 million.
He said the same contractor was paid K1.5 million around 2024 to fix the Parom culvert under the former Works and Highways Department secretary and yet no work had been done to date as well.
“The Marape Government’s policy is that any contract below K10 million should go exclusively to local contractors. Can the minister explain what happened in this instance,” Bird asked in Parliament on Tuesday.
“There was a serious landslip above Koikin village which could affect the entire Sepik Highway.
China Shenyang International was paid some money, but no work has been done.”
He said similarly, the Wewak Airport redevelopment programme was awarded to a Chinese company for K68 million and now they faced flooding issues.
“For small jobs that are less than K10 million, I am sure there are many local Sepik contractors who could’ve done the job because they also get AusAid contracts,” Bird said.
He asked why local contractors were not considered for such small projects especially for Parom and Koikin, given that the Chinese contractor failed to deliver.
Tsiamalili asked Bird to put all questions in writing, so he could respond as he was not the minister responsible during that time of arrangement.
Bird also asked if Tsiamalili was willing to review the contract for the Passam Maprik Highway.
“The Australian government had put down K100 million for that road and a local contractor was recommended, but the National Executive Council decided to give it to a Chinese company and they withdrew that K100 million,” he said.
