Call for audit on Kukum Market

By EDDIE OSIFELO

A HONIARA resident, John Langi calls on Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to order an audit investigation into the incomplete Kukum market in East Honiara.

This was after a construction company believed to be owned by one of the Honiara City Councillors, could not complete the project within the time line, due to lack of finance.

National Government has injected $1.3 million under the Economic Stimulus Project plus Honiara City Council’s estimated $1.2 million towards the Kukum market project last year.

The World Bank provided assistance also under the CAUSE project towards the market facelift as well.

Island Sun understands workers of CAUSE project had started work on slapping the pavement outside the main building of the market this month.

However, Langi said work on the main market building is dormant now.

He said the PM needs to order an audit investigation to justify the money spent already on the project uplift.

Langi alleged the council has outstanding debts with construction companies, therefore it could not continue with the work this year.

HCC Clerk Rence Sore admitted last December that they expected to complete the building before end of 2020 but that was not possible.

Sore said they are likely to complete the market project in the first quarter of this year and should be opened for use straight away.

He said in terms of finance, they have already used up all funding support provided by National Government, World Bank and HCC.

“Since we have already used up that funding support, we are now relying entirely on HCC revenue to complete the building.

“Due to COVID-19, we find it difficult to secure additional support from other donors or partners,” he said.

However, Sore believes they are hoping to complete the building using HCC revenue collections by late January or early February.

But to date, there was no work on the project.

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