By EDDIE OSIFELO
NATIONAL Hosting Authority is supporting local contents or employees in its infrastructure projects for the upcoming Pacific Games in Honiara.
The Pacific Games is scheduled to take place from October 19 to November 2, 2023.
Engineer Soleana Visiama Gagehe confirmed this during the 2021 Infrastructure Symposium at FFA last week.
She said for the national stadium, they have 70 local workers working there and expecting to expand to 300 as work progresses.
Gagahe said NHA also engaging local consultant and sub-contractor to assist with the project through engineering and Unexploded Ordinance.
Furthermore, she said NHA has recently engaged a local constructor to deliver the design and construction of the SIFF Academy.
For the Solomon Islands Futsal stadium, Gagehe said they currently have 20 local workers engaged and increases as the project requires.
She said NHA also engaged local sub-contractors and materials are produced as part of the project.
In addition, she said for the Games village, they will need 15-20 subcontractors to undertake the upgrade of the seven schools.
She said for two Honiara City Council fields at White River and Kukum and SINU field, they are procuring local constructors as well.
Gagahe said at NHA, they do have capacity building opportunities where they conduct procurement trainings, workshops and training for officers in the Project Management Unit.
She said in PMU, there 15 Solomon Islanders and one expatriate who have experience in Project Management, engineering, architecture, contract administration, procurement and quantity surveying.
