Mirisim to fund air fares subsidy

TELEFOMIN District Development Authority will continue funding air fares subsidy till the road from Tabubil in Western Province reach Telefomin Station in West Sepik is completed, Works and Highway Minister Solam Mirisim says.
“The 80kms road that started in May 2018 in North Fly will reach Telefomin station by 2024. Currently the road is only 8kms away from the first village in Telefomin District. It’s a real rugged virgin jungle and so the constriction of the road is very challenging”.
Mr Mirisim who is also the Telefomin MP said that on Thursday when presenting K1 million cheque to Air Sanga for air freight subsidy.
“This airfreight subsidy will help subsidies freight cost from Tabubil and Kiunga airports to air strips in the Local Level Governments in Telefomin, Oksapmin and Yapsie. So now ordinary villagers, churches and Government worker can air freight materials and store goods to their respective LLGs. And ordinary villagers can also freight their vegetables from these LLGs to markets in Tabubil and Kiunga in North Fly District, Western Province. We don’t have any road links yet. So we will still continue to use air transport to move to and fro the District to outside centers. And with this air freight subsidy, now air freight cost will be subsided by 10 per cent.
Air Sanga Chief Executive Officer Captain Gibson Nakandaul when receiving the cheque said that this cheque is at the right time when the high fuel cost is at its peak now.
“Fuel in Kiunga is about K7 per liter which is very expensive. Air Sanga has been providing services to Telefomin areas since 2011 when we started and the minister was always there watching. And I have pity for people around there. How they get the money to pay for the charter, I don’t know. We try our best to pay for the fuel and we survived. I’m sure the people in Telefomin will appreciate this assistance. And this 10 per cent subsidy is a lot. Thank you minister for helping little SME in Telefomin. It is a relive to them . May be the Marape-Rosso Government is talking about SME and I think we should look at SME in rural area and not urban area,” he said.
Mr Nakandaul also said that In PNG local air operators have tried to bring serves to some of the rural areas in PNG such as Telefomin.
“We have encountered accidents and Incidents and it’s a very expensive operation in the country. Not only in Telefomin but in Goilala and, parts of Northern and Central Provinces. Among all these rural MPs areas, MP Mirisim has been outstanding in rural aviation. He went ahead and secures a plane which we are managing at the moment,” he said.