By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
FOREST Minister Salio Waipo is happy for a Logging company’s efforts in constructing a road in the Central province to link Milne Bay under the National Government’s connect PNG program.
Mr Waipo said this after inspecting the new road constructed by the Action Forest Limited (AFL) in Abau district recently.
The Minister was accompanied by Abau MP Sir Puka Temu, National Forest Authority (NFA) Managing Director John Mossoro and officers from the Department of Prime Minister.
“We have the connect PNG program and we will work closely with the Department of Works and Highways. I want to thank AFL General Manager, David Ling and his team for their great job. This is what the government wants to connect PNG by working with all our partners through private sector and public partnership so that we can achieve whatever goals that our government has for our people,” Minister Waipo expressed.
“Whatever we do must be for our people because we represent our people. So whatever work that we do must reflect and benefit our people. This a way forward to work with all our investors in the country in all sectors like agriculture, forestry and other sectors so we can all hold hands together with our government so that we can achieve the best for our people,” he said.
Also, NFA Managing Director John Mossoro said “we will see how best to help the companies to connect PNG. If they want to bring in material to construct the bridges, we will see how we can help them.
We will look at some sort of incentives to assist the two companies, like if they want to use steels to build bridges, we can liaison with customs to exempt them tax. We can do such permanent arrangement with logging companies to build schools and health centers”.
Mr. Mossoro also thanked the company for its support in constructing the road.
“I thank the company for his work on the road and also for providing services to the people at their own cost. That’s what one thing that we must appreciate,” he said.
“The Government is there. And under the connect PNG we must consider such companies as service providers. Not only in cloudy Bay but around the country.
This company has good track records in their other logging operations in West Sepik. We must support these types of companies in going forward that are partnering with us Forestry.”
Meanwhile Central Provincial Forest Manager Charles Pakure said that “This forest project in Abau District is to facilitate in the connect PNG program to connect Central and Milne Bay provinces but our major problem in connect PNG will be bridges. At this point in time, we will use Logs Bridge”.
