K12m National Court House project in Daru set to start

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new National Court House in Daru took place yesterday, officially marking the start of construction of a state-of-the-art courthouse, valued at approximately K12 million.

The courthouse is expected to be a significant step forward in enhancing access to justice and improving the judiciary's infrastructure in Western Province.

The ceremony started off with a guard of honor and than proceeded on to an opening prayer and speeches that followed.

Those that witnessed the ceremony included Western Province Governor, Taboi Awi Yoto, South Fly MP and Minister for Livestock Sekie Agisa, Provincial Administrator Robert Alphonse Kaiyun, Chief Magistrate Mark Pupaka, and other officials from the judicial sector and Fly River Provincial Government.

The new courthouse is a joint initiative between the National Judiciary Services and the Western Provincial Administration.

Governor Yoto, in his speech, emphasised that it's a confirmed project with funding available, the contract awarded, and mobilization has started with building materials being prefabricated.

The new facility is part of a broader infrastructure development program aimed at modernizing court facilities across the country.

He said this new facility will give the town a new facelift and they will continue to build and restore Daru Island as the capital of Western Province.

"With the new national court facility, this will help mandate current and future law and order issues that may arise in our province and towns.

"It will bring cases in Port Moresby to come and be heard here, it will also bring lawyers, the Department of Attorney General, who are here today, the Public Solicitors office to come and work, and indirectly they'll contribute to our local economy in the province," he said.

Chief Justice of PNG Sir Gibbs Salika, during his keynote speech, acknowledged everyone who was present to witness this milestone occasion.

"This ground breaking ceremony is a significant event for all of us as this will be the seed for law and order in the province and we are starting to build it and we will need your support to ensure that once it is built we will take care of it," he said.

"This will be one of my major projects before my term as Chief Justice comes to an end. So this may probably be my last project and I ensure that before my term finishes we must have a new proper court house in Daru," Chief Justice Salika said.

He said he is hoping that in the next 18 months to two years they will have a brand new court house in Daru that will house the district, the national and the Supreme courts.