Kaindi road to become a golden pathway to revive Wau Waria’s economy

The construction of the Kaindi feeder road will be a game changer for the new Wau Waria district of Morobe Province, with the local MP Marsh Narewec declaring, that it will unlock the district’s economic potential, particularly through its booming alluvial gold sector.

Speaking to NBC News, Narewec said the 16km stretch of road on the Wau side of the district, known for its treacherous terrain and dangerous cliffs, is an economic artery that will enable the small-scale gold miners to safely transport their gold to market.

This he said will have money directly injected into Wau.

“Kaindi is the most difficult road to construct but it has to be because it’s the most economical road, not just in Morobe but maybe in the country as a whole,” he said.

Narewec highlighted, that the Kaindi road generates K40 to K50 million annually from just one gold buyer and believes, that with the current gold price, the true economic potential will be even greater with the alluvial gold economy in Wau alone, generating up to K100million in foreign exchange annually.

To kick start construction, the National Government provided K3 million under its Commodity Support Program, with an additional K2 million committed by the Wau Waria District’s Development Authority (DDA) from its infrastructure budget. The total of K5 million has already been used in the first phase of maintenance, with a further K2 million needed to complete the initial stage of the road works.

“Plans are also in place to push for second-level maintenance to widen and seal the road, and allow for a safer, two-way vehicle passage,” the MP said.

Narewec’s long-term vision beyond road construction, is to retain the wealth generated by small-scale miners within the district.

“Right now, we don’t have proper businesses in Wau to trap this huge amount of money going out. That is why I’m prioritizing the construction of roads. Once the Kaindi Road is made safer for travelers, I’ll make land available for the local miners to invest in businesses to keep the money here,” he said.

He went on to emphasize the importance of empowering the locals to become the primary operators in the alluvial mining sector, rather than having foreign miners coming in to dominate the industry.

“It’s a big challenge to see Asians mining as alluvial miners in Wau. We need Papua New Guineans mining, owning and operating businesses so our money can stay in Wau and in the country as a whole. The potential here is very clear.”

Acknowledging the challenges ahead given the difficult terrain of the Kaindi Road, Narewec expressed full confidence in his DDA team who tirelessly work behind the scenes to deliver as planned.

“It’s a start for us. There’s a lot of work to be done but we are starting now," he said.

The Kaindi Road project is one of four (4) major highways on the Wau side of the district, aiming to improve service delivery and access, to slowly but surely transform Wau Waria into an economic hub once again.