Source: THE NATIONAL
No supplier and service contracts have been issued to any supplier to build mobile towers in Papua New Guinea for Vodafone bemobile, a company statement said yesterday.
The company’s new management was responding reports that Vodafone bemobile had awarded a US$30 million (K64 million) contract to Fijian company Network Services Limited for the construction of 300 mobile phone towers in PNG.
The Fiji Sun was amongst those reporting the network services contract. It quoted both Network Services owner Iliavi Tokalau and Fiji High Commissioner Romanu Tikotikoca’s briefing to Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
Outgoing acting managing director for bemobile Michael Ah Koy said.
“The decision to award service and supplier contracts in the restructured bemobile rests entirely with the new management.
“I can confirm that no supplier and service contracts have been issued to Network Services Ltd or any other supplier as reported yesterday.”
Bemobile regional chief executive officer Pradeep Lal also confirmed that no supplier contracts had been issued to Network Services Ltd or to any supplier by the new management.
“We have a strict evaluation and governance process that needs to be followed before awarding of such contracts,” he said.
“As a matter of fact, we have not even called for any expression of interest from prospective suppliers for any supply contract.”
A new board for the company is also being put in place, with the appointment of Andrew Johnson replacing Syd Yates as chairman, Wasantha Kumarasiri and Paul Komboi representing the PNG government’s Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC) and Ajith Kodagoda and Jaoji Koroi representing the Fiji National Provident Fund.