Works Minister admits to funding thousands of kinas for medevac and UK study

Minister for works and Highways Solan Mirisim has denied payments of over 3 billion kina to four contractors under Connect PNG

This comes after Ialibu Pangia MP revealed documents alleging the Minister and Prime Minister 's involvement and associate to four local contractors.

He said these allegations are false.

In setting the record straight, the total payment to the four contractors is only 764 million Kina and not 3.8 billion as stated by former Prime Minister.

" I'd also make it very clear that neither me nor prime minister Marape has any shareholding or hundred percent owned construction companies under our names, in fact the named companies were small local contractors that are part of 300 contractors comprising both local and international companies", Mr Mirisim told parliament.

Department of Works staff training

He reiterates all payments are made according to the budget items and contracts.

But it was also revealed that staff from the Department of Works are benefiting from an over 170 thousand kina for training and development programs under the Connect PNG program in the United Kingdom.

Whistleblower documents allegedly detailing tuition fee expenses were tabled in Parliament on Wednesday by former Prime Minister and Ialibu Pangia MP Peter O'Neill.

Minister Solan Mirisim while admitting to this in Parliament on Thursday, did not specify how many staff and what programs they are studying to contribute to the Government's flagship Connect PNG program upon return to the country.

" All payments are made according to budget items and contra. For the first time we have a proper payment registrar that details out all payments made to every contractor and service provider under Connect PNG including school fees for staff training and development programs paid under Connect PNG project overheads"

PIH paid more than 200 thousand kina for individual medivac

The documents further reveal on medical expenses under the Connect PNG program.

The Department of Works paid more than 200-thousand kina to the Pacific International Hospital for an individual's medevac to Australia.

Whistleblower documents tabled in Parliament on Wednesday by former Prime Minister and Ialibu Pangia MP Peter O'Neill revealed this.

Minister Solan Mirisim admitted to this although not revealing who was being medevaced, leaving the Opposition demanding for this.

" I also admit payment by my Department of Works and Highways for a medical charter fee as the former prime minister stated yesterday, the department did this life saving assistance in a very critical situation for immediate lifesaving treatment to Australia as recommended by local medical expert due to no availability of treatment or facilities. If he put himself into my shoes, he was a minister, what will he do, what will his department do. It is better to save a life. The Department of Works and Highways is in communication with the parliamentary services to reimburse the funds", Mr Mirisim said.

This medevac of hundreds of thousands of kinas while Papua New Guineans die daily to curable diseases and and don't have the luxury of being medevaced to seek specialist health care overseas.

World Health Organisation estimates 7-thousand five hundred Papua New Guineans die annually due to cancer. From this, there are 20 deaths per day for all forms of cancer.

7-hundred-thousand-kina contract for Works Department beautification program

Bu there's more to it in the new look Works Department Headquarter grounds.

Minister Solan Mirisim failed to address the allegations of an over 7-hundred thousand kina worth of contract for planting flowers at the Works headquarters in the capital, under the Connect PNG program.

He presented his ministerial statement on Thursday in Parliament and while addressing other serious allegations however did not account for the over 190 thousand kina each paid to 18 soldiers, and an over 150-thousand kina paid to a local paper, supposedly to do with the road link program.

At the end of his statement, using Government numerical strength, Prime Minister James Marape moved a motion to disallow debate on the statement, much to the disappointment of the Opposition:

" Mr acting Speaker it's a good statement I know members of parliament want to debate this, but I move that the debate be moved to a later date", the prime minister said.

Lack of trust fund set up and Board not a breach of laws

Meanwhile, Mr Mirisim is adamant that the lack of a trust fund set up and board to manage the Connect PNG Program monies is not a breach of laws.

He told Parliament on Thursday; the road fund is only responsible for managing offline revenues generated from road user related fees and charges for maintenance purposes only and not development funds.

Mirisim was responding through his ministerial statement to allegations by the alternate government on the Connect PNG's lack of compliance with the Road Maintenance Fund Act 2020 and Connect PNG Implementation and Funding Act 2021 - two key laws enabling its existence.

" The operation of Connect PNG funding arrangements and management act 2021 to allocate a minimum legislated amount of 5.6 percent of the annual budget came into effect only in 2023. As such, all capital works program budget funding for Connect PNG in the previous years were always located under the PIP budget lines under Department of Works and Highways as the implementing agency" he said.

Connect PNG  is a 20-year program aimed at linking the rural to urban centres of the country, with a total expenditure of 20-billion kina within the duration of the program, with a 1 billion kina appropriation annually.

However, since the start of the program - the Government has confirmed 7 billion kina has already been spent to date.