ASIA Development Bank continue to priorities the Department of Works and Highways as a key agency in carrying out the Medium Term Development goals and strategy of the National Government especially in the transport sector.
Out of the 268 public sector loans, grants and technical assistance totaling $4.7 billion with a cumulative loan and grant disbursement to PNG $3.44 billion, transport sector accounts for 85 of these projects for $2.34 billion to date.
Such would not happen without the support of the outgoing ADB Country Director Mr. David Hill.
Minister for Works and Highways Hon. Solan Mirisim and Secretary Mr. David Wereh today hosted a luncheon at the DoWH Headquarters to thank and farewell Mr. Hill.
Minister Mirisim said, during Mr. Hill’s tenure as the NDB representative in the country, he has given his very best of efforts.
“We will continue to appreciate and value those efforts as we enjoy the fruits in good roads, as well as other programs outcomes.
“With your understanding and guidance, PNG has instituted a financing and delivery model that has huge potential as we are already experiencing the benefits on the Sustainable Highlands Highway Investment Program (SHHIP).
“This is the Program-based financing as opposed to Project-based financing that has secured a guaranteed long-term financing.
“This will go down in the history of the capital works financing and delivery in the roads sector, and that history, Mr. Hill will feature, as one of the key players,” he said.
Mr. Mirisim further added that with the hard work of Mr. Hill, PNG has secured a long-term guaranteed financing facility through three Funding Trenches for the SHHIP program.“ADB has provide a funding commitment of US$ 1 billion equating to about K3.6 billion and this funding has feature prominently in the total loans and grants to PNG to date.
“On this note, I sincerely want to acknowledge your support not just for our Sector but also for the country in its development endeavors for the past 6 years or so of you being the Country Director.
“You have done more that we could possibly ask,” Minister Mirisim said.
Secretary Wereh in his farewell remarks stated that ADB has been a long time partner to PNG dating back to 1972 supporting the development aspirations of the country.He said in the process of time, so many people have come and go, so many things have happened, so many lessons learnt and so many changes have been done.“One important change which has impacted DoWH during Mr. Hill tenure was to think different, think big and pursue the plan and dreams of DoWH in a different way.
“ADB has come back in a different way focusing on the road sub-sector after 24 years focusing on the Highlands core roads,” Wereh said. “I looked back years ago and I could say it was really hard to qualify one local contract. It was hard so we had to retender.
“We went through International Competitive Bidding and also within the country as well and it was never easy to qualify a contractor or bring in a contractor to work on those big projects under the ADB arrangement.“Some of us were lucky to join these big projects straight out of university, working under some of the expertise engaged in these big projects,” the Secretary recalled.
He said: “Through the process we were lucky. It has been a 24 years’ journey and during that time ADB has been supporting the sub-road section in PNG.”
Mr. Wereh added that after seeing the results of the supplementary Highlands core roads, DoWH was still fighting with a lot of backlogs.“Our main highways were still depleting and required a new approach to deal with those backlog issues and there was no other highway in the country that was more important than the Highlands Highway.
“I remember talking to Mr. David Hill on pitching a program for the Highlands Highways and try and focus on that first in a program based approach.
“We had a lot of issues on maintenance and asked if it could also be captured in that program and Mr. Hill heard us loud and clear and decided to help us put together SHHIP.
“It is a 10-year program that is fixed on a sustainable approach on the Nazab to Kagamuga section of the Highlands Highway covering five to six provinces with huge population base, with a lot of economic activities along those corridors,” Mr. Wereh said.
He thanked Mr. Hill for his service and wish him well as he move on in his life.
