By FRANCIS RODNEY PULU
MINISTER for Works and Highways says the Connect PNG programme plan that was approved by the Government in 2019 is a 20-year plan from 2020 to 2040 with an estimated cost of about K20 billion at K1 billion per year.
Solan Mirisim said this while presenting his ministerial statement on the programme in Parliament on Thursday.
Mirisim said the Marape-Rosso Government’s Connect PNG programme is a carefully planned strategic intervention to address transport infrastructure stock inherited from the past programmes and at the same time to meet the urgent demand to open new economic corridors in PNG to unlock economic potential and stimulate socio economic development.
He said the programme is by far the largest infrastructure development programme undertaken by any government.
“There is already a major construction activity that already taking place on our national highways, Provincial roads, major cities, town roads around the country,” he said.
Mirisim said this increased construction activity is generating over 3,000 jobs and progressively improving the overall quality and performance of PNG’s road network.
He said the connect PNG program comes in three phases.
- Phase 1 is from 2020 to 2027 and to cost K7.98 billion
- Phase 2 is from 2028 to 2034 and to cost K6.75 billion
- And Phase three from 2035 to 2040 to cost K5.26 billion
Mirisim said in line with the connect PNG targets for phase 1 (2020-2027) the Marape Government since taking office in 2019 has recorded an expenditure of K3 billion between 2019 and 2022 as well as other road projects.
“This expenditure includes funding of K1.93 billion worth of contracts with an equivalent scope for the upgrade and improving 2,000 kilometer inherited from the 2012 to 2018 road upgrade program of the past Government,” he said.
Mirisim further highlighted some of the economic lifeline highways that comprises of the Highlands, Magi, Hiritano, East West New Britain, Sepik, Ramu to Madang and Enga which make up 4,200km of the 30,000km national road network.
Mirisim said together with the completion of the balance of works inherited from the previous Government and for the new projects under the Marape Government a total of about 3,200km of roads works on both the national and sub national has been completed.
Some of the main projects that are completed so far are;
- Highlands Highway (Phase 1 Lae to Nadzab).
- Highlands Highway (Phase 2 Lae to Nadzab).
- Highlands Highway (Kagamuga to Keltiga).
- Construction of the Gulf Southern Highlands Highway.
- Boluminski highway rehabilitation from Kavieng to Namatanai.
- Upgrade to seal of East New Britain Highway from Kokopo to Kerevat.
- Construction of 3 bridges on the Sepik Highway.
- And more than 1,000 meters of rural standard bridges.
Mirisim also further highlighted some of the major progress on the construction of new mission links which are as follows;
- Maramui missing road link at 100 % open.
- Erave to Sembrinki 100 % open.
- Trans Island Highway at 60 % open
- And Aitape to Vanimo at 100 % open.
- Fisika to Lae at 70 % open.
- Central to Miline Bay at 50 % open.
- And Tabubil to Teleformin at 80 % open.
Meanwhile Mirisim said the implementation of the connect PNG program is critically important for PNG and requires timely and adequate funding resources to ensure the program targets and milestones are achieved in timely manner.
