Goroka District Development Authority have secured the land title on which current District office is on where they occupied for over 40 years without a title.
Goroka MP and Minister for Agriculture Aiye Tambua said yesterday that the current district office building had been in use for the last 40 years without a title and with the title in hand they will build a new stateof the art District office building.
Mr. Tambua thanked the Minister for Lands and Physical Planning, and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso for issuing the title of the land on which the current district office is on to him yesterday att the Department of Lands in Waigani yesterday. The presentation was witnessed by Goroka District Administrator Benson Imara and the secretary for Lands Benjamin Sampson.
“On behalf of the people of Goroka, I would like to thank the Minister for Lands and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso and the Lands Secretary for helping Goroka DDA to have the title over the district office,” Tambua said.
“We were not able to develop that land because we did not have the title but now that we have secured the title we are looking at building a state of the art district headquarters for the people of Goroka.
“This is long overdue and has taken over 40 years and finally we were able to achieve that.
“I would also like to thank the Lands officers in Eastern Highlands, the district administrator and Land’s Secretary who have worked tirelessly in securing this title.”
Tambua said his DDA and the Goroka Town Council have also secured title over the water supply system of Goroka town which includes the land where water source is, the treatment area and the storage tank at Mt Kiss.
“Now that we have the title, it’s easy to develop the water system because we can show it to the developers that ‘yes the DDA or Town Authority owns the land, Tambua said.
Moreover, Mr.Rosso commended the Goroka MP and his DDA for setting an example to other districts by following right processes in securing state lands.
“District headquarters and water supply are key infrastructures and that will be a benefit to the people of Goroka and I commend the MP and Lands Secretary for working together in delivering the title,” Rosso said.
“This will now allow the Goroka Local Level Government to expand and bring in investors. It ensures that the land and assets of the people of Goroka are protected.
“I would like to extend the invitation to other members of parliament, especially for the urban centers to protect the land in towns and cities for key infrastructures by acquiring the titles.
“We must stop land grabbing especially by external forces and other people with vested interests.”
Rosso said his electorate (Lae City) had issues were land grabbers illegally occupy land such as amusements parks and other state assets.
However Rosso said he has secured title for all assets of Lae City when he became MP in 2017.
Meanwhile Tambua has sent warning to illegal land grabbers in Goroka that they will face the full force of the law as DDA will take stock of every land that is owned by the state.
