A Chinese Construction company has been engaged to rehabilitate part ofthe Highlands Highway at a contract price of close to 400 million kina (K400m).
China Machinery Engineering Corporation will work onthe section from Kisenepoi to Kaguel Beidge inthe Southern Highlands Province.
The contract signing betweenthPNG government andthe Chinese Company took place on Tuesday at Government House.
Present atthe signing ceremony were Works Minister Francis Awesa, his secretary, David Wereh, department staff andthe Chinese delegation.
Secretary Wereh signed on behalf ofthPNG government for the Chinese Machinery Engineering Corporation to begin work immediately alongthe Kisenepoi to Kaugel Beidge section ofthe Highlands Highway.
The government has provided K150m inthe 2013 budget for this project. The balance of more than K249 million will be sourced fromthe EXIM bank loan.
Works Minister Francis Awesa explained whythey had to bring in a Chinese Contractor.
“It’s not only Chinese or Aussies or Japanese or anybody. Whoever doesthe job well will go down on our books asthe preferred contractor. They are one ofthe biggest companies in China, one ofthe top 5,” explained Minister Awesa.
The contractor andthe state have negotiated andthe contractor has agreed to give 20 years warranty onthe pavement and 40 years onthe bridge.
“That means that ifthere are defects, anything that goes wrong onthe road,they will come back and dothe repairs attheir own cost. That’sthe guarantee included inthe project and I’m pleased to announce that this isthe first time it has been done,” Awesa said.
Vice President of CMEC said this wastheir first project in PNG and were happy to be inthe country.
“PNG economy is developing very fast and you have to have good roads and we are very glad to be part of this progress,” said Jin Chunsheng, Vice President of CMEC.
They will mobilise machinery and equipment inthe next two months before work actually begins.
Caption: China Machinery Engineering Corporation signingthe K400m contract withPNG Government.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=cy113fp8ElM%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
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