Give powers to districts and provinces

As majority of our people live are living in rural areas.

Mr Thomson raised this during the commissioning of Unggai Bena District Procurement Committee in recently.

He said Port Moresby only comprises of a small percentage of the country’s population and centralizing all decision making powers for service delivery in Waigani must be relooked.

Mr Thomson said with the Unggai Bena DPC established, the district now has the powers to undertake procurement of goods, service and works via transparent tender up to the threshold limit of K2.5 million.

“This is a big jump compared to the previous threshold limit of K500,000 which the districts used to preside over and approve projects.

“Anything above K500,000 usually goes to the then Provincial Supply and Tenders Board to do the tendering and procurement for them.

“But now, the NPC Board is exercising its powers under the National Procurement Act (NPA) 2018, to delegate some of its procurement powers and functions from Waigani down to the districts and provinces,” he said.

He urged the Unggai Bena DCP and other committees already established to comply with the NPA when performing their duties.

“You must follow and abide by the NPA. If you step out of line and abuse the powers given to you, the same Board at NPC has the powers to dismiss your district committee and withdraw the powers given.”

Mr Thomson emphasized on the Procurement Committees in districts and provinces to award contracts to nationally-owned companies as their threshold limit is below the National Restriction and Reservations of K10 million under Section 48 of the NPA.

Unggai Benna MP, Benny Allan thanked NPC and described the establishment of the District Procurement Committee as an achievement for the district.

“This is an achievement for us and we believe to other rural districts in the country as the K2.5 million is sufficient to deliver impact projects,” Mr Allan said.