Minister for Defense, Win Bakri Daki has paid a courtesy visit to the Kokopo fire station office in East New Britain (ENB) recently.
The Minister was accompanied by the Chief Fire Officer, Bill Roo and welcomed by ENB leaders; Member for Kokopo, Ereman ToBaining Jnr, Member for Pomio, Elias Kapavore, Acting Provincial Administrator, Levi Mano, ENBPA Disaster Director and ENB Governor, Michael Marum.
The purpose of the visit was for the Minister for Defense to visit the station and to see how they are going about with their operations.
The visit is also to see what things are needed in order to provide a better and efficient fire service in the province.
Speaking during the small but significant event, Minister Daki said that now with the Marape-Rosso government, this will now be one of his many obligations to visit the department in other provinces.
“Our resources and our properties are very important. It is hard to rebuild new ones again and this sector is important and needs support in order to build what is necessary.”
“For the last years there has not been any presence of a minister who has come down to the level of a province to visit offices and now as the new minister, I want to increase the manpower and trucks.”
Minister Daki stated that in terms of issuing new vehicles for the fire station, they used to get trucks from donors and if they do have a lot of them in Port Moresby, then those trucks are sent to outside stations.
“The fire service sector doesn’t have a high demand in terms of budgeting resources for this department of the government agency but now that I’m here, this will increase this year I have increased the budget.
Meanwhile, Member for Kokopo, Ereman ToBaining Jnr commended the Kokopo fire station for their continuous service in Kokopo town over the years.
He said Kokopo has a record of losing important businesses and buildings and directed the call to the Defense minister to look into the station and give support.
ToBaining stated that the provincial government through the leadership of the Governor, Michael Marum, they have secured a land each in Rabaul and in the Gazelle district.
“The land is under the state and they are arranging for the transfer of the certificate of competency and we will work with your department as a way forward and partnership for the construction of facilities and improve some of the firefighting base in the province.”
On behalf of the province he acknowledged the minister for his visit to the Kokopo fire station, commenting that there is no minister like him who has done such visiting; however, with the visit they hope the province will see change in the fire station.