By NOLAN NESON
A Brief History of a possibility of Hydro Power Plant in Menyamya....
The research, projection and scoping for a possible Hydro Power plant in Menyamya started as early as 1980s by government researchers as Golding and Loveday of Lewis Institute (if I can recall my readings correctly).
The said researchers established findings in 1986 that there are a number of potential sites in Aseki, Kapau fault - (the current Kapau hauslain along the Kapau river), Tsewi and Menye to build Hydro to generate power for the Menyamya government station which was then a Morobe Patrol Station.
The case-study concluded the Menye to be the suitable site closest to the station with the creek’s pressure creating a possibility of providing around 2MW of power.
The current Project.......
After 25 years from the time Golding and Loveday’s researches, the much dreamt and talked about Menyamya (Menye) Hydro project was promised to be realised by the then PMPO in 2011.
It took 6 six years (2011-2016) for the project to get a nod. It finally got off the ground when the contract was signed between the state and the contractor (Malaysian owned paper company JURUDAYA CONSTRUCTION (PNG) LTD. (1-69258)) in July 08, 2016 after the company provided a colourful design of the project.
So what is the progress and the status of the Project so far?
THE PROJECT IS A MISERABLY FAILED PROJECT.
Today, the current site sits idle with a brick wall of 3-4 meters high with bush growing all over again.
The work done doesn’t look as if it costed nearly a million. Yet the contractor has taken residence in the local site and what it is doing on the site is unknown for almost 6 years now (2016-21).
I went to talk to the Kongkong guys but they weren’t willing to talk to me. I only talked with their PNG accomplices. From what I found out, they do not understand what they are doing. They are just looking after the properties on site.
HERE IS WHY. There are simply four (4) reasons I established as to why the work isn’t progressing;
1. Funding Issues
2. Incompetent Contractor
3. Petty Politics
4. Incompetent Leadership and
5. Interplay of National Politics and other Factors.
1. FUNDING ISSUES
Obviously there is no Money. So let’s ask: Where’s all the money meant for this project? If there is no money than where would have the K16 million to fully fund the project come from? Who are the co-funders to the project? Was there any development partners engaged to collaborate in successfully delivering this project?
Sadly, it was a lone, rush and blind DDA initiative to riskily fund a K16 million worth project out of DSIP money at the eve of the final year of the parliament tenure in July, 2016. As reported, the state was to collaboratively fund K5 million on-top of the DSIP initiative amount of K5 million. Did the state fund its part? Who knows?
Note that there was no MOAs signed between the State to co-fund the project.
There was no MOA between DDA and MPG to co-fund the project.
There was no MOA between DDA and or any other development partners to co-fund this project.
Whatever we see on the site came out of DSIP purse. Sadly no further.
There were no plan B, C,,, financial alternatives or source to complete the so called IMPACT PROJECT.
It was a pure showcase of a blind and incompetent regime. No different than a petty money squandering technique. A ridiculous fact. Though how hard we talk, the project is a failed one. There’s no development partner to complete the project.
On one of the dailies, there was no evidence of the state promising to co-fund the project which the other said it otherwise.
The then acting secretary for the Department of State Investment and Public Enterprise, Dr. Clement Wayne pity on the DDA and said, other districts in the country had built hydro powers with funding from development partners outside but Menyamya was first with it's DDA to do it alone from its DSIP. What a pity? Was our DDA happy when we seem lacking vision and short sighted? I am agitated.
2. INCOMPETENT CONTRACTOR (JURUDAYA CONSTRUCTION PNG LTD (1-69258))
Once a project is not delivered to it's expectation, this brings to question the credibility of the company.
Jurudaya Construction PNG Ltd is a Malaysian company registered in PNG in 2009. After 7 years of listing their names under IPA, they got Menye Hydro Project in 2016 as their first project ever.
It is a subsidiary company to Phoenix Builders and NOT A MAJOR construction company like Phoenix itself. The company belongs to three Malaysian brothers (Names withheld).
It is a construction company and not specialising in Hydro Engineering.
The company has NO record of delivering a project of this magnitude in PNG or elsewhere.
Its official address the business is using is a housing area and not a business area. This company seem to be operating from home. (Already a breach of IPA Investment Guides and IPA Act).
Interestingly, I just found out that the company engaged secretarial services from another Asian consultant. So this questions the design that was presented to the Department of State Investment and Public Enterprise that won this project. I mean the design that won this project.
So can we argue that the company knows what to do every step and phase of the construction? There are reputable companies who should have been contracted who have proven records.
JURUDAYA currently is not listed on any construction elsewhere apart from its first and only project in Menyamya (a failed one).
Since it (Jurudaya) maintains its presence on the project site how it pays tax to IRC is a question I ought to be corrected. It's presence is questionable.
Has the DDA done a good assessment on the credibility of the contractor? Or did the DDA made a recommendation to the National Tenders Board (NTB)? If not this shows how foolish and incompetent the regime is.
The company must come out clear on the phases of construction and what is actually happening on the ground. Jurudaya is also liable for the failure.
This DDA and the said company here are equally responsible to give the people of Menyamya an update of the project.
It is our right to information. We need the company and the DDA to come clear on this project. (If not, a police investigation team can be engaged and they will evacuate as they failed the project and the people of Menyamya already).
3. PETTY POLITICS
All that transpired is pure political tactic to win elections.
Firstly, what a DDA to risk purely K16 million of the DSIP for an IMPACT PROJECT?
The contract was signed in July 2016. When did we thought the DDA would have gotten that much needed money to complete the project without development partners when it was months away into the next NGE? No logic at all.
Did we not realise that PNC and the DDA corroborated to lure voters to send them back into power in 2017 NGE just the same way they did in 2011 by promising the hydro that lured voters to vote them into power in 2012?
Simply, this regime lured the people of Menyamya in 2011 with the promise of the hydro to win 2012.
The same regime waited till 2016 and then contracted the long promised project as the same tactic to win 2017. This is petty politics. They are playing with our future.
4. INCOMPETENT LEADERSHIP
YES. Everything rises and falls on leadership. The attitude and the style of the leadership is displayed in any work undertaken by the regime.
Therefore, this is another showcase of the regime’s leadership incapability.
The regime seems to not understand what DSIP is. It tries to build projects out of DSIP. DSIP money is purposely to maintain and improve existing basic services and use it as a base to negotiate developments with various development partners.
The regime also seems to not understand project bidding procedures. It cannot make a good judgment on contractor credibility nor does it understand the powers of DDA to appropriately do this.
DDA has never worked in partnership with MPG and Morobe Joint Provincial Planning & Budget Priorities Committee (JPPBPC) to help push such projects hanging incomplete. (Provincial Government is well vested with powers that can ease such issues).
DDA does not have the courage to hold the contractor responsible.
Now it is confused who to blame. Whether to cry foul to the current government for PIP funds or MPG. The leadership is sitting on the fence on this issue.
It itself doesn’t know how to deal with this failed project.
I see them running all over looking for money. But what more can the government do for you (DDA) when you have a failed project? What project acquittals do they (DDA) have to secure funds?
The regime wasn’t able to follow up on MPG’s massive announcement of Rural Hydro Power project by Hon. Ginson Saonu promising Menyamya (through late Hon. TNT) to get one in October 2018.(Not cleared whether it was to fund the failed one or to initiate a new one)
*This regime is incompetent and confused on how to deal with this project. There is no plan B for this project.
5. INTERPLAY OF NATIONAL POLITICS and OTHER FACTORS
There are national issues that added to the halting of the progress just because it wasn’t completed as planned in less than 2 years.
The lose of BP in the elections and the eventual fall of PNC in 2018.
National Government instability
The passing of late Hon. TNT also haltered many other services and projects
Late TNT’s party alliance to Pangu being a then PNC rival.
The current regime’s weak and poor collaboration with Morobe Provincial Government (MPG) and provincial assembly.
Many times the MP is seen barking from media and even asking silly questions at the floor of parliament on matters he should have resolved with fellow Morobe MPs as a member of the provincial assembly.
The late jumping off of the incumbent MP, Hon. BP from PNC to Pangu.
These are some issues that terribly failed this project.
THANK YOU ALL….WE FEED YOUR RIGHT TO INFORMATION