Madang to revive rural airstrips
The Madang Provincial Government has inked another agreement with the Rural Airstrip Agency [RAA] to revive rural airstrips in the province.
The Memorandum of Agreement was signed on Tuesday by the Provincial Administrator for Madang, Daniel Aloi, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Airstrip Agency, Kim Opiti; witnessed by Governor Pariwa.
Mr Pariwa explained that this is the second time the two parties have signed the agreement, which was initially penned in September 2022 but the contract was never implemented due to administrative impass.
That agreement expired in 2024 and was never revisited or renewed.
Mr Pariwa said, "The beneficiaries of this agreement are people in the rural unreached areas of Madang Province.
"This partnership will enable us to reach the unreached in those rural LLGs and districts, especially Raikos, Middle Ramu, and parts of Usino/ Bundi and Sumkar districts that are still not reachable by roads." He said.
He added that the Madang Government also did not make any serious effort to implement the terms of the contract due to the court cases that the provincial government and its administration had with their predecessors at that time, and the MOA lapsed after two years.
After the signing, scoping work is expected to get underway soon on selected airstrips that are listed in the agreement.
Meanwhile, CEO Opiti said RAA acknowledged that service delivery in Madang's remote communities is ridden with challenges.
"The geography is un- forgiving, and the cost of logistics is high. For too long, our rural brothers and sisters have felt the isolation that comes when an airstrip falls into disrepair and the 'birds' stop flying," she added.
Ms. Opiti further elaborated that with the technical expertise they possess and the dedication, RAA stands committed to deliver to the remote population of Madang Province to ensure vital links are restored and maintained.
Madang Province has 30 airstrips, most of which lie in disrepair, and remain non- functional to date.