Transcript
WERA MORI: The government has expended at least thirty million kina over the last ten years. And what we've only got is basically what has been reported. It's a 2.5 kilometres (road) where 5.7 million was expended; and then a perimetre fencing which basically is about 9 and a half kilometres and we spent 17 million kina; and then you have a road which basically, just two and a half kilometres, and the only major feature of that road is a 400-metre cementing; and then you've got an expensive gate of 4 million kina.
JOHNNY BLADES: Is it the case that there have been inflated contracts over that road development and the gate? I mean it's so much money for very little.
WM: Yeah well I cannot comment on that because it did not happen during my time.
JB: Your fellow MP in the same party, Richard Maru, was the minister before you and he was a big supporter of this project. So, he has to answer for this, doesn't he?
WM: Yeah he would be the person, or the former minister Gabriel Kapris.
JB: Mr Maru has been backing this project for the whole last parliament term (five years) so there must have been some expenditure under his ministry during that time?
WM: That is something I'm not aware of.
JB: So you're saying the 30 million was all spent by Kapris?
WM: I could not say that. All I know if that thirty million has been spent. On that I could not comment.
JB: Will you be seeking answers, or what will happen now, who will be accountable?
WM: We're just waiting on the auditor-general. They've basically just got to look at the books, otherwise we're at the next step and just have to put it behind us. Now that we're aware that the project hasn't been managed properly in the past, or hasn't been given proper guidance, from now onwards we would ensure that we do not go on down the same path.
JB: You're obviously committed to the project. Apart from the road and the gate, I suppose people are wondering when the actual jetties, wharves and things like that are going to be built. Is that the next phase?
WM: Yes. The PNG government had signed a concessional loan. So we'll be drawing down 156 million US dollars from the Exim Bank of China. So we're basically now building a big container wharf that's going to take up to forty thousand tonnes of shipping. The government of prime minister Peter O'Neill is very focused to open up PNG as a business hub. That's the reason why we've got to have those enablers, that will basically attract foreign investment. Therefore we're just basically doing that. So what I'm trying to do as the minister is quantifying the expenses. Not only that, but going way forward. I have just got to make sure that we spend money where it matters most - that's one; And secondly, when we spend money we must get equitable returns on it. In the past it has not been brought under supervision. Within the next month and going forward what will happen is that it (the PMIZ) will come under the radar of my ministry, so that we, on a monthly basis monitor what's actually happening on the ground. So that when we spend money there is tangible return on that. Now one way of doing that is that we've got timelines, so that by a certain length of period we have to achieve certain things to be done, like a certain amount of infrastructure, so that by the next three to four years, the PMIZ must be in a state to basically be fully operational.
