What is the solution?
As the interview with my informer – the ex-PWD heavy equipment and plants operator – was nearing an end, I raised a number of questions – questions about turning a new page.
“Is the situation as you have been detailing, reversible, I asked, or is it too late to salvage the image of public works in Solomon Islands? The man begged for time.
“Yes, he told me the next day when he and I again met. Yes, I thought long and hard about your questions and I think I have found a starting point to address the depressing situation that has been allowed to develop in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) over the years,” he said.
“I am absolutely convinced that the situation can be reversed. To do so there must a major internal clean-up of the system that is in place in there right now. As a matter of fact, there is no system at the moment, except the system to defraud taxpayers who pay road works and other infrastructure projects administered by MID,” he said.
“We need to dismantle the official hierarchy of MID so that we can start all over again.”
He suggested a number of steps to be taken as a matter of urgency.
“Firstly, the top echelon of officials in the Ministry should either be retired or transferred elsewhere. These are men and perhaps women who are involved one way or the other in the on-going questionable activities especially in awarding infrastructure projects.
“The financial resources of the Ministry are being bled to shreds without due care. To stop the bleeding, a new regime has to take over in the Ministry. This new regime would be tasked to review and improve the existing system of tendering and awarding of contracts.
“This new regime must ensure only companies with qualified engineers are allowed to tender for government contracts. The process must also be conducted in an open and transparent way.
“Thirdly, there are ex-PWD workers out there who can assist the government in restoring quality and value for money in terms of supervising road contracts. They should be re-engaged to supervise any road or bridge projects throughout the country,” he suggested.
“I can almost guarantee that the people of Solomon Islands, wherever they are can see the difference in workmanship almost instantly,” the man said.
Fourthly, a verification system in contract payments must be built into the system so that no payments are made unless the requirements in the system are satisfied. There is far too much waste that is going on. We can stop it,” the man said.
“No wonder, donors are always in favour of awarding infrastructure projects they fund to their own,” he said.
The man said he believed Solomon Islands has the capacity to restore the image of public works in this country.
“I once heard a remark attributed to the current Permanent Secretary of MID, Stephen Walaodo Maesiola, when he took up his new position that we need to go back to the PWD days.
“That means there is something good about the PWD. It is about the image of what was an institution until it was replaced by the MID,” the man said.
In a published interview with Mr. Maesiola after taking up the position in April 2018, he remarked, “I can see cleaning up the Ministry administratively is a challenge – things like the accounts here, the shipping grants and so on.”
Meanwhile, the ex-heavy equipment and plants operator said Solomon Islands has qualified and experienced engineers and plants operators doing nothing.
“These men worked under the supervision of British and Fiji engineers prior to and immediately after independence. They have a lot up their sleeves,” he said.
“Solomon Islands cannot afford to ignore the potential contribution these people can make in terms of nation-building. Unless these measures are taken, the situation will only get worse, not better,” the man said.
As the write-up on our interview began to circulate, businessmen and other former PWD workers phoned up to say they too have a story to tell.
“There’s an official in MID you need to know,” one suggested.
The man kept giving contracts after contracts to a particular contractor that when the contractor passed away recently the MID officer had moved in with the widow.
“They are now living together,” according to information obtained from various sources. Watch this space next week for more.
By Alfred Sasako
Newsroom, Honiara
