Australian High Commissioner to PNG Deborah Stokes and Department of Immigration and Border Protection Offshore Detention and Returns Task Group first assistant secretary Ken Douglas led a briefing to update companies on the business opportunities available.
Delegates at the Cairns event on Saturday heard the engagement of local businesses would increase as further subcontract and supplier packages were let by the managing contractor Decmil.
Work is underway to expand and upgrade the Lombrum Regional Processing Centre, including associated infrastructure and permanent staff accommodation and to build accommodation at East Lorengau.
Subcontract and supply opportunities include fuel management, vehicle supply, waste removal, power generation, generator hire and structural steel supply.
Further subcontract opportunities also exist for recruitment, pest control, perimeter fencing and security services.
Douglas told PNGIndustryNews.net that a lot had been achieved in a short space of time with about 900 PNG citizens employed at the RPC. “This is the third in a series of business briefings that have been done, sponsored by the High Commissioner,” he said.
“We’ve explained to people how much business has been generated by the centre and how many employment opportunities have been offered and taken up.
“On this occasion we had senior representatives from Transfield Services, who are the garrison and welfare services provider at the centre and are responsible for the catering, cleaning, security and logistics and facilities maintenance.
“They spoke about their processes for engaging [subcontractors] and the opportunities which are there.”
Douglas said contracts with service providers required them to maximise the employment of PNG citizens.
PNG-based companies providing goods and services to the centre include Manus Transport & Logistics, Spic N Span, Total Food Network, InterOil, Digicel and Agility.
“During April we purchased goods and services such as food, logistics and supplies, and general consumables to the value of two million kina each week,” Douglas said.
“That was a high figure for April because we were going through a transition from G4S to Transfield.
“There is quite a program of works. About 70% of the work packages at East Lorengau have been awarded but very few of the work packages at Lombrum have been awarded.
“That’s a fairly major project to build more long-stay accommodation for the workers. We need to expand the range of amenities available for the transferees living at the centre – so that’s gyms, reading rooms, libraries, internet facilities and playing fields. And we also need to build a much bigger kitchen.
“It’s up in the scores of millions of kina for that construction work. And there are opportunities for both Papua New Guinea and Australian businesses. The key issue for us in all our procurement is value for money.”
This article was sourced from Pngindustrynews.net.
