Prime Minister Marape highlights Kotidanga road as key economic corridor

Prime Minister James Marape has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to connecting remote communities through the Connect PNG programme, highlighting the historic opening of road access into Kotidanga, a once isolated hinterland area of Gulf Province.

For the first time, people can now drive from Menyamya in Morobe Province into Kotidanga in Gulf, an achievement Prime Minister Marape described as “transformational” for local communities and the nation.

“In 2020, when I visited nearby Kaintiba, I promised our people that by 2025, the road would reach these long-forgotten corners of our country. Today, I am proud to say that Kotidanga in Gulf Province is now connected by road,” Prime Minister Marape said.

The Prime Minister emphasised that these are not just ordinary roads, but “economic corridors” designed to unlock opportunities in agriculture, tourism, and resource development. “Kotidanga and Menyamya are rich coffee-growing territories.

With road access, more coffee can now be exported out to international markets, creating income for farmers. Roads also give our people the opportunity to participate in eco-tourism and other productive activities that strengthen the rural economy,” he said.

Beyond agriculture, the Kotidanga road also opens access to significant oil and gas exploration areas inland, while the Cloudy Bay–Alotau section will complement major offshore exploration currently underway by TotalEnergies in the Gulf of Papua.

“This is why Connect PNG is more than just building roads, it is about opening up economic corridors for growth, investment, and prosperity. Every kilometre built is an opportunity for our people to be part of the modern economy,” Prime Minister Marape said.

Prime Minister Marape will today visit Kotidanga in Gulf Province to meet with local communities and see first-hand the impact of the new road. Following this, he will travel along the Magi Highway and continue by road all the way to Alotau in Milne Bay Province, demonstrating his government’s commitment to linking towns, districts, and provinces through the national road network.

“Step by step, kilometre by kilometre, we are connecting the unconnected and reaching the unreached. This is how we build a stronger and more inclusive Papua New Guinea,” Prime Minister Marape said.