Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill should take a good look at himself before tainting the reputations of Papua New Guinea contractors.
“When Peter O’Neill points a finger at Papua New Guinea contractors, there are four more pointing back at him,” Prime Minister Marape said when rebutting accusations by O’Neill that he was awarding contracts to companies close to him.
“He has a far shadier and dishonest reputation of awarding contracts to his own companies during his time as prime minister. “O’Neill, since I took over from him as prime minister in May 2019, has been using any and every opportunity to discredit my personal integrity.
“However, it is well documented that O’Neill is a far shadier character, who enriched himself from Papua New Guinea‘s coffers like a man possessed-awarding contracts to his companies.”
Prime Minister Marape said he has no shareholding in companies like Ipwenz and others, as claimed by O’Neill.
“I have no shareholding in Ipwenz and other companies, unlike O’Neill, who had his greedy tentacles everywhere,” he said.
“I do, however, encourage Papua New Guinea companies in the construction space.
“Moses Palipe, who owns Ipwenz, has long been in the construction business and is not a shady character like Peter O’Neill and his Wild Cat companies that has a record in not delivering projects.
“I do not know where O’Neill got his figures from, and then using them to make serious allegations against contractors, without verification from the Department of Works and Highways.
“Ipwenz, and the companies O’Neill has made serious allegations against, fairly bid for and were awarded the contracts by Department of Works and Highways.
“These companies operate in some of the most-rugged and unforgiving terrain in the country, however, get kicked in the teeth like this by the disgraced former prime minister.
“These companies are more honest and deliver work than Peter O’Neill and his shadowy Wild Cat companies.
“Peter O’Neill was known for giving contracts to his own companies, and foreign companies, unlike now where we have over 300 local companies operating in all corners of our country.”
Meanwhile Minister for Works and Highways Solan Mirisim also said the recent media statement by O’Neill stating that a single national contractor (IPWENZ) has been awarded a K3.5 Billion worth of Contract is ridiculous , misleading and a very cunning and deceptive allegation to only raise alarm at this juncture of VONC.
Minister Mirisim said: “in the history of our Department, a national or even a single international contractor has never been awarded contract of such a huge value nor a single contractor has been paid K743million in 8 months period. This is totally untrue.
“O’Neill needs to be corrected that IPWENZ , a local contractors is only implementing two project worth K270 million which include Nipa to Tari Section of the Highlands Highway and the Telefomin Tabubil Missing Link Road Construction.”
He said the former PM knows very well that even during his time in office he had several construction companies including Wild Cat and Global directly registered under his name but was not possible to issue contracts valued at such amounts to himself.
“His government was only good at awarding contracts to Chinese and foreign conglomerates at inflated unverified contracts costs that remains a mystery even at this stage.
Now he is seen fit to falsely accuse our government of practicing nepotism when we are giving work to local Papua New Guinea Contractors,” he said.
“Papua New Guineans must not forget that Peter O’Neill is known for inflated contracts creating huge debt traps that our government is currently clearing them.
He must be ashamed of records of uncontrolled spending’s on creating highways to no ways and forgetting the rural road access serving 85% of the rural population.
To come and point fingers at Marape Government for building local contractor is very hypocritical and deceptive,” he added.
Minister Mirisim said, this Government under Prime Minister Marape is focused on building the local contractor capacity in line with the Connect PNG vision to make Papua New Guinean local contractors to take over 60% construction market share by 2030.
“We are making our business to ensure our local contractors are build to highly competitive levels,” he said.
“Today we have more than 100 local contractors in various contract sizes and types including 5 local contractors who can participate and deliver major projects valued over K100million including 4-lane highways to international standard “All the ongoing contracts valued at K4 billion have been procured through the competitive bidding following the established procurement and awarding process stipulated under the NPC Act.
There is no room for choosing and picking of contractors under the discretion of any individual.
Let me make it clear that more than K2 billiion worth of these contracts are under local contractor all over PNG and all these contractors are creating 30,000 jobs for locals per year including many other spin off benefits for Papua New Guineans.
Thus these ridiculous allegations by the former Prime Minister are baseless and purely political rhetoric at the time of VoNC.”
“Let me put the former Prime Minister on notice that his mere allegations will not stop our government and my Ministry from continuing to build our local industry capacity necessary to give Papua New Guineans the equal opportunity to build national development infrastructure instead of continuously being bystanders watching foreign contractors build infrastructure at a very high and inflated cost,” he added.
