Local service providers in East New Britain Province are being engaged by the provincial administration to run programs aimed to empower the local population.
The programs are being rolled out under the ENB Provincial Administration’s divisions of community development and lands and physical planning.
The 14 service providers were at the Kokopo Primary School hall on Wednesday, November 15th, to sign their service level agreements (SLA) with the Acting ENB Provincial Administrator, Levi Mano.
Of the 14 contracts, nine come under the Community Development Division to carry out life skills and leadership training while the four contracts given out under the Division of Lands and Physical Planning, are basically for survey works, given the Division’s present lack of capacity, in terms of manpower and resources.
Under the Community Development Division, contracts were given out to consultants, Charlie Baining, Epical, DAW and Swift, as well as Sedu Floriculture, John Lote Catering, Cornerstone Legal Services, Pacific Region Skills Workforce and the Melanesian Training Institute.
The five contracts issued under the Lands and Physical Planning Division are for Meca 3D Solutions, Daveline Engineers and Survey Image Solutions.
As advised by Deputy ENB Provincial Administrator for Corporate Services, Marakan Uvano, the SLA is for minor contracts which fall under K300,000.
“If your contract work is valued over K300,000, then it goes through the normal procurement, which will be parked under the Technical Services Division. This is when invitations will be put out for bids on whatever the required work is,” he said.
The contracts under the Division of Lands and Physical Planning also include Minor Contracts Agreements that were signed between the three service providers and the Acting PA.
“The Minor Contracts Agreement is in line with the Public Finance Management Act, so that is why we are signing these documents with the SLAs,” he iterated.
The Acting PA further explained that the service providers engaged are already running programs in the communities so they are being recognised through these agreements for further programs under the two divisions.
“We are trying to do this, to empower our communities and our local service providers who are already doing things in our communities.
“If the contract duration ends, and all goes well, we can re-negotiate. We are starting off with these few service providers and can expand to include more as we progress with this program. We want to use this program and service providers to empower the communities so that the people themselves can drive development in their area.”
Speaking on behalf of the service providers was Abraham Bobo Tamai, from Pacific Region Skills Workforce, said: “Thank you for recognising this need in our communities, because if we sit on things and do not do anything, we will reap the results of it, as seen with the lawlessness in the province. So, we thank you for this initiative.”