By GINNAH MINI
Chief Secretary Ian Pomaleu has urged the Department of Works and Highways to make the Construction and Contractor Conference an annual event to showcase the “hearts of patriots and the minds of innovators”.
Mr Pomaleu gave his keynote address and emphasized that the conference served as a critical platform to chart the future of Papua New Guinea’s infrastructure, extending beyond physical roads and bridges to the systems that drive the national economy.
“The scale of our infrastructure deficit in this country is far too great for government alone to shoulder,” he said.
The Chief Secretary said that to meet this challenge, collaboration must be embraced through a three pillar model:
- Public-Private Partnerships-by fostering investor friendly conditions to position construction as long term investments in national productivity and economic growth.
- Inter-Departmental Synergy-holistically planned infrastructure and where ad corridors are developed alongside electricity and fiber-optic grids.
- Empowering Local Contractors- through the PNG First initiative where the government is committed to building the capacity of local contractors.
“Together these pillars form the foundation of a future where infrastructure is not just built, but built to empower, unlocking productivity, connectivity and prosperity and economic growth for all,” Mr Pomaleu said.
He added that as the Government implemented the National Infrastructure Policy 2027–2047, every kina invested must deliver measurable returns.
The Chief Secretary told the contractors and stakeholders that development must be inclusive; roads must extend beyond urban centers- linking the most remote villages to coastal ports, so that no community is left isolated and every citizen have shares in the national progress.
“It is a pledge that no community will remain isolated, and that by 2047, Papua New Guinea will stand as a model of sustainable development, resilience, and unity,” Mr Pomaleu said.