Service delivery to remote areas continues to be a challenge
Delivering basic government services to remote places in Papua New Guinea is considered a daunting task for some Members of Parliament, especially those whose districts have no road accessibility.
One such district is Madang’s Middle Ramu. It is one of three geographically difficult districts in Madang Province which successive MPs and governments have failed to connect by road since Independence. The district remains trapped between Western Highlands, Enga, East Sepik and Jiwaka provinces.
Connecting Middle Ramu by road is a mammoth task, however; incumbent MP, Kansol Harwai Kamdaru is determined to make a difference for his people.
The Middle Ramu District Development Authority, under his leadership, has allocated K18 million towards the construction of the Madang/ Baiyer Road. The National Government also made a K18 million commitment last year, as counterpart funding towards this infrastructure, which will become a national road.
Construction work on the Western Highlands side has reached the border area of Madang and Western Highlands, with forty kilometres remaining to reach Simbai Station.
Member Kamdaru was on site last week with the Minister for Works and Highways, Solan Mirisim and his departmental secretary, Gibson Holemba, Western Highlands Governor, Wai Rapa and the Member for Mul/ Baiyer, Jacob Maki. All were impressed with the progress of work on the new road.
Mr Kamdaru thanked Mr Rapa and Mr Maki for their support towards this very vital infrastructure, which will ease transportation burdens for his people, who continue to struggle in bringing their cash crops to the nearest markets.
The Member for Mul/ Baiyer and his District Development Authority has also chipped in K1. 5 million towards the construction work.
Minister Mirisim and Secretary Holemba during the site visit last week gave confidence to the people of Middle Ramu that the road should reach Simbai by or before September 16, when Papua New Guinea celebrates its 50th golden jubilee.
Meanwhile, during a stopover at Simbai station, Mr Mirisim emphasised the need for consistency in national leadership in order to see such big projects come to fruition. He said continuous changes in leadership over the years have left a lot of important government projects in the country incomplete. He said changes in leadership after every five years adversely affect the progress of essential government projects in many parts of the country.