“Work begins now.” Those were the stern words from the newly appointed Works and Highways Minister Solan Mirisim at the handover- takeover ceremony in Port Moresby last night.
Minister Mirisim wasted no time in thanking Prime Minister James Marape for his trust and confidence in appointing him as minister to head the Department taking over the leadership from the outgoing and former Minister Michael Nali.
He told the gathering it was encouraging that he was appointed by the CEO of the country to lead the department and he would give his utmost best to provide the leadership needed in the department while utilizing the expertise of the Department’s workforce to progress and push development agendas forward.
“I am just an ordinary politician. I am here to work and provide guidance and my leadership. Work starts tonight,” said Minister Mirisim.
He highlighted that his motto moving into the department was, “Connecting the unconnected; & reaching the unreached.”
He said almost 85% of the country’s rural population, translating to 1.5 to 2 million people are yet to be connected by road networks.
His motto during his tenure as Minister is targeted at these missing links and this will be made possible by the 5.6% monetary commitment of the Marape/Rosso government in its annual budget allocations to road infrastructures under the Connect PNG program which the department has embarked on.
He thanked the former Minister Michael Nali for setting a high benchmark in the Works Department and vowed to carry on from where the former minister had left.