Prime Minister James Marape has made his commitment on several projects in Manus in his New Year visit to the province last Friday.
At a short official ceremony at NBC Beach in Lorengau, Prime Minister Marape addressed the Manus people by emphasising that though Manus is remote and isolated from mainland PNG, he has not forgotten them.
With respect to the major development projects, Prime Minister Marape made a commitment of K30 million for work to begin on the construction of the N’Drauke Industrial Port, K10 million for a new COVID-19 and other transmissible Diseases Isolation Facility, this is apart from the budgeted K15 million funding for a new Manus Provincial Hospital and a further K10 million for road works to begin on the East-West Highway road link that falls in the Provincial Government’s jurisdiction.
For Manus Provincial Hospital, he wanted to see the immediate establishment of a modern COVID-19 isolation facility in Manus, and further requested for land to be identified and made available for the construction of the new Provincial Hospital.
Prime Minister Marape also announced that the new Momote Airport will become an international airport once it becomes operational in February 2022, and will have all enabling facilities including an airport hospital to process international passengers and investors entering Manus and PNG.
Other major projects that will come on line in Manus include the Manus Tax Free Region (MTFR) project, which will provide tax exemption, encourage foreign investment and create economic and business activities in the province.
Prime Minister Marape further stressed that it is his Government’s priority to provide a conducive environment for service delivery for tangible economic development that impact positively on the lives of people and Manus is no exception.
Mr Marape departed for Port Moresby today but said he will visit Manus again early this year to officially launch some of the projects that he has mentioned.
The Prime Minister was received on arrival at Momote Airport on Friday by the Commanding Officer of Tarangau Base, Lombrum, and inspected the Guard of Honour and officially welcomed to Manus by the Governor Charlie Benjamin, Manus MP and Speaker of National Parliament Job Pomat, members of the Manus Provincial Assembly and Senior SDA Church Leaders.