A Consultant’s report has blasted the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as a “dysfunctional organisation suffering from insufficient cost control and a lack of effective oversight of the World Trade Centre programme.”

The audit of the bi-state agency was ordered last year by the governors of New York and New Jersey after sharp increases in tolls on the port’s bridges and tunnels were announced, reported American Shipper.

The Navigant Consulting report spoke of runaway pay scales. “Compensation for agency personnel has contributed to an unacceptable 19 per cent increase in compensation in just five years,” said the report.

The cost of redeveloping the World Trade Centre following the 9/11 terror attacks has “gross costs will likely exceed US$14.8 billion, an increase of $3.8 billion since the last forecast in 2008″, the report said.

“The port authority’s net funding obligation has grown from $6 billion to $7.7 billion, before consideration of additional potential net cost exposures of $800 million,” it said.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, ultimately responsible for the state agency, said the report “finds capital planning is plagued by management deficiencies that have resulted in a doubling of debt in 10 years as the agency drifted from its core responsibility as a transportation infrastructure organisation”.

Port Authority executive Pat Foye said the review “underscores the need for the port authority to refocus”.

Said Mr Foye: “Insufficient cost controls and a lack of effective oversight of the World Trade Centre programme that has obscured full awareness of billions of dollars in exposure to the port authority played a role.”

Mr Foye the World Trade Centre focus has led to “mission drift from our core role”.

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