ABOUT $8.6million worth of equipment from the Public Works Department (PWD) is missing.
Responding to a question posed by Opposition MP Jone Usamate on the reestablishment of PWD, Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Ro Filipe Tuisawau said he did not know where this equipment was.
Ro Filipe said the PWD setup was being done in an incremental, structured and responsible way, so that whatever was done complemented rather than duplicated processes.
“I do not want to repeat basic management,” he said.
“Let me just say that we do not want to dwell on the mistakes of the past. We will not look back. Basically, there was nothing there when we came in, in terms of equipment, manpower, etcetera.
“So, it is really starting from scratch.”
He said the Coalition Government was focused on reestablishing the PWD because of the lack of services to people in areas such as roads.
“We have issued contracts for the purchase of construction and maintenance equipment.
“This marks a pivotal step towards equipping PWD to effectively carry out its function.
“As I mentioned, there is nothing there – nil equipment, even nil experienced operation staff.
“For example, even a grader, you need to know how to operate it, not drive it. There has been quite a lot of complains in terms of the private operators, in terms of how they do that. That lack of know-how and skills contributes to the current predicament we face.”
He said in a technical department such as public works, human resources were critical, and the loss of skills after PWD was de-established left a big gap in the sustainability of human resources in technical areas.
The minister said this could not be rebuilt in just 12 months.
Ro Filipe also said there was a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Health to assist in urgent works at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, and other ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture.
