Basil explains K50,000 school project grants

Bulolo MP Sam Basil Jnr has clarified the funding mechanism behind the construction of a new classroom at Malangta Primary School in Watut, Morobe, following public criticism surrounding the project’s cost and standard.

The opening of the building recently drew widespread criticism on social media, with members of the public questioning the overall value and quality of the facility.

Speaking in response to the public reaction, Basil said Malangta Primary was among 33 schools across the district that each received a K50,000 grant from the Bulolo District Development Authority [BDDA] to assist with classroom construction.

"The Bulolo Development Authority, as guided by the Bulolo District Development Plan 2023-2027 under infrastructure support, has provided counter funding which is understood to complement funding obtained from the project component of the Government tuition fee subsidy grants," Basil told NBC News.

"The Bulolo Development Authority provided K50,000 in counter funding to 33 schools right across the district, totalling K1,650,000."

Basil said the funding assistance was never meant to cover the total cost of any single building, but was allocated as financial assistance to aid school boards in delivering their own projects, preferably a two-in-one classroom structure.

He said in addition to the cash grants, the BDDA also supplied 100 sheets of roofing iron to each of the 33 recipient schools.

"This support also reduced construction costs and helped schools complete the classroom projects," Basil said.

"Schools were encouraged to source their own timber and contractor, which basically left the school management boards and their administration to take ownership of the funding and deliver an infrastructure project for their school.

"This meant the school management boards and their administration were responsible for deciding how the funds were used, whether to build through community labour, engage carpenters, or award contracts to a contractor. The designs of the classroom projects were also the prerogative of each school."

Basil further clarified that the district administration had no direct involvement in the execution, design, or management of the building works once the funds and roofing sheets were handed over.

According to figures confirmed by the Bulolo District Education Services; five schools have completed, launched, and acquitted their projects, 28 schools have commenced construction and are nearing completion, and, two schools have yet to begin construction.

"The five schools that have completed and launched their classroom project have also fully acquitted for the funding that they have received, and the Office of the Bulolo DDA Chairman and the Bulolo administration are in receipt of the acquittal," Basil said.

He maintained that the BDDA treated every school in the district equally and would not interfere in the internal decisions of local school boards.

"BDDA don’t micromanage. We are not architects or engineers. We have 33 schools, all receive the same," Basil said.

"It’s not always the role of the DDA to do what we did. They should be happy something is better than nothing. There were no special treatment. We treated all 33 schools the same."