MEMBER for Telefomin and Minister for Works and Highways, Hon. Solan Mirisim, has challenged his people of Telefomin to toil the land in order to repay the massive investment made by the Government of Papua New Guinea.
He issued this challenge during the opening of the temporary Sepik River bridge today.
“We want the road, we cry for the road, and now we have the road,” Mirisim told his people.
“This bridge marks an important step towards realising our dream of having road accessibility after 49 years.
“I continue to ask myself what are we going to do to repay the government? I believe the only way now is for us is to go into agriculture so we contribute to the socio-economic development of our beautiful country.
“We have many available lands to cultivate cash crops, raise livestock and fresh vegetables.
“There is also a big market at our door step as we are now connected directly to the Giant Ok Tedi Mine and Tabubil through road connectivity.”
“My people, for many years you have asked for road accessibility, the Marape-Rosso Government have listened to our cries and today we are more than connected.
“My people I know you have been resilient and hardworking and I appeal to us to always maintain that culture. If we deviate from that then we will not see progress,” Mirisim said.
He said this one lane structure is a temporary bridge to assist in moving light vehicles to the other side of Sepik river as work continue on to progress the Tabubil-Telefomin-Oksapimin-Kopiago Missing Link road under the Marape- Rosso Government Connect PNG flagship policy.
Minister Mirisim further stated that there are plans already in place to build a permanent two-lane bridge and the contractor has already procured materials to begin work.
He thanked the Marape-Rosso Government for linking Telefomin to the outside world through the Connect PNG Policy.
He also paid his deepest gratitude to the Ok Tedi Mining Limited Management and the OTML TCS for their continuous support towards the project.
Minister Mirisim was accompanied by Minister for Coffee, Hon. William Bando, DoWH Acting Secretary Gibson Holemba, OTML General Manager Jessy Pile and IPZ Managing Director Moses Palipe.
