PRIME Minister James Marape has assured the people of Madang Province that the National Government will intervene if necessary to ensure the long-delayed Madang Airport terminal is completed, following the abandonment of the project by the contractor responsible for its construction.
The Prime Minister gave the assurance in Parliament while responding to a question from Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa, who raised concerns about the incomplete airport terminal despite major road infrastructure upgrades currently taking place in the province.
Prime Minister Marape acknowledged the concern, noting that it would make little sense for Madang to have modern road infrastructure leading to an unfinished or outdated airport terminal.
“One can only imagine the situation where we build modern infrastructure, such as the four-lane road from the airport area into town, and yet passengers arrive at a rundown terminal,” Prime Minister Marape told Parliament. “That would not make sense. The airport terminal must match the standard of infrastructure we are building.”
The Prime Minister said the Madang Airport project was originally part of the Civil Aviation Development Investment Programme (CADIP) Phase One, a major national airport infrastructure programme initiated in 2008 during the government of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.
Prime Minister Marape said the CADIP programme had played a major role in modernising Papua New Guinea’s aviation infrastructure over the past decade and remains one of the most successful infrastructure programmes undertaken in the country.
“I want to place on record my appreciation to the Somare Government for initiating the CADIP programme in 2008,” Prime Minister Marape said.“At that time I was serving as Vice Minister for Works, Transport and Civil Aviation assisting the then Minister Don Polye, and I was directly involved in some of the early work that led to the programme’s rollout.”
The Prime Minister also acknowledged the support of development partners, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Australia, which have supported the programme.
He said CADIP Phase One had delivered significant upgrades to several airports across the country, including major runway improvements and new terminal facilities.
Among the airports successfully upgraded under the programme were Vanimo Airport, Momote Airport in Manus,
Kavieng Airport in New Ireland, Goroka Airport, and Mount Hagen Airport.
“These airports now have modern terminal facilities and improved runways that allow for better and safer air travel,” Prime Minister Marape said.“In many cases these airports have completely transformed the travel experience for our people and improved connectivity for provinces that rely heavily on aviation.”
Prime Minister Marape noted that while many projects under CADIP Phase One had been successfully completed, a small number of airports, including Madang, had experienced delays.
In the case of Madang, he explained that the delay was caused when the contractor responsible fornconstructing the new terminal failed to complete the work and eventually abandoned the project.
“The contractor defaulted and abandoned the work, and that created the situation we are facing today,”
he said.“Because the project was initially funded under CADIP Phase One, we had to carefully review the contractual obligations and determine what the contractor’s responsibilities were before the National Government could step in.”
Prime Minister Marape said he personally witnessed the
unfinished state of the project during a recent visit to Madang.
He recalled travelling through the province when he attended an event in Sumkar District at the invitation of local leaders.
“When I passed through Madang, I saw for myself the situation at the airport terminal,” he said. “At that moment I immediately sent instructions to the relevant authorities in Civil Aviation and the National Airports Corporation to begin looking at how we can complete the project.”
The Prime Minister said the Government is currently working with the National Airports Corporation and other relevant agencies to determine the best pathway to complete the terminal.
“If the Asian Development Bank cannot continue the project under the original arrangement, then the National Government will intervene to ensure the terminal is completed,” Prime Minister Marape said. “We cannot leave Madang with an unfinished airport facility.”
He emphasised that the airport terminal must be developed to a standard that reflects Madang’s growing importance as an economic and tourism centre.
“Madang is a very important province. It has significant tourism potential, a strong fisheries sector, and growing interest in mining and other industries,” Prime Minister
Marape said.
“We must build an airport terminal that is befitting of Madang and one that reflects its economic importance.”
The Prime Minister also noted that major road infrastructure upgrades are currently underway in Madang, including the improvement of the road linking the airport area through the swamp section and into the main town area.
“That road project is already underway as we speak,” he said.“So it is only logical that the airport terminal development should happen around the same time, so that the two pieces of infrastructure complement each other.
Prime Minister Marape apologised to the people of Madang for the delays and assured them that the Government is committed to resolving the issue.
“I want to apologise to the people of Madang for what appears to be a delay,” he said. “This delay began when the contractor abandoned the job, but we are now working to ensure that the project is completed.”
The Prime Minister also used the opportunity to update Parliament on the Government’s broader airport infrastructure programme across Papua New Guinea.
Under CADIP Phase Two, the Government is continuing to upgrade and modernise airports across the country.
Prime Minister Marape said work has already started on a new terminal at Aropa Airport in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which will serve the entire region.
He also confirmed that the Government has instructed authorities to examine plans for a new terminal facility in Buka to further support air connectivity in Bougainville.
In Milne Bay Province, construction is currently underway at Alotau Airport, which the Government intends to develop into a potential international gateway in the future, particularly to support tourism growth in the region.
“We see Alotau as having potential to become an international airport in the future, especially to support tourism in Milne Bay and surrounding provinces,” the Prime Minister said.
He also announced that a brand new airport terminal is being constructed in Wewak, noting that Wewak has emerged as the fourth busiest airport in the country.
“Wewak is now one of the busiest airports in our country and it deserves a modern terminal facility,” PrimenMinister Marape said.
He acknowledged the support of the East Sepik Provincial Government in assisting with preparatory work for the Wewak upgrade.
“I want to thank the leadership of East Sepik, including the provincial government, for assisting with drainage works and preparations that allowed the airport upgrades to proceed,” he said.
Prime Minister Marape said that once the current round of airport upgrades is completed, only a few provincial airports will remain outstanding for major development. These include Kundiawa Airport in Chimbu Province, Kerema Airport in Gulf Province, and Daru Airport in Western Province.
“When these are completed, every province in our country will have the necessary airport infrastructure to support connectivity, tourism, trade, and economic growth,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“Our vision is to ensure that every province in Papua New Guinea has the enabling infrastructure required to support development and opportunity for our people.”