PRIME Minister James Marape has expressed his gratitude to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for its support to Papua New Guinea during a meeting with the incumbent ADB country director.
When welcoming the new ADB country director, Said Zaidansyah, on Thursday, Marape said ADB has been a steadfast partner in PNG, contributing to infrastructure projects.
He expressed hope ADB’s assistance will align with PNG’s recently-launched Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) IV.
Zaidansyah, an Indonesian national, now leads ADB’s operations in PNG, overseeing ADB’s relationships with the government, stakeholders, including the private sector and non-government organisations.
Prior to his current role, he served as ADB’s deputy country director for Indonesia, starting in November 2018.
His previous experience in ADB’s Office of the General Counsel led to his appointment as principal counsel. Before joining ADB, Zaidansyah was a lawyer with Baker & McKenzie. He holds an LLM from Queen Mary College of the University of London, achieved under the British Chevening scholarship, and an LLB from the University of Indonesia.
Zaidansyah highlighted ADB’s enduring partnership with PNG, dating back to 1971, with a particular focus on the road and infrastructure sector.
He emphasised ADB’s commitment to continue this collaboration within the framework of MTDP IV, offering support to help PNG achieve its developmental goals.
The ADB’s assistance has included the Civil Aviation Development Investment Programme (CADIP), which has led to substantial upgrades at numerous airports throughout the country. ADB is also actively engaged in various road projects, including the construction of 71 bridges, contributing to the development of a robust infrastructure network.
Zaidansyah underscored ADB’s ambition to diversify and engage in multiple sectors, exemplified by investments in Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET), healthcare facilities, the public sector, State-Owned Enterprises, and anti-corruption initiatives, among others.
He informed the PM of ADB’s interest in supporting affordable housing and expressed his intent to meet with Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso to discuss this further.
Marape also requested a comprehensive briefing from Zaidansyah on all ADB projects in PNG to facilitate further discussions.
