“Roads are essential to country development.” This was the sentiment echoed by the Minister for Works and Highways, Solan Mirisim in Wednesday’s Parliament seating as he presented the Department of Works and Highways report on the Connect PNG Program. The Minister stated that PNG Roads will continue to be essential to the country’s development as they facilitate 85% of the movement of passengers and freight. He said that Roads also facilitate the development and movement of much of the country’s natural resources and major cash crops across the nation. “In recognition of this, the key economic growth goal of the medium-term development plan is to improve infrastructure with sustainable and disaster resilient quality to provide more enabling environment for the growth of the economy and service delivery.” He added that the state of the current existing roads and road networks were built and established between the 1950’s and 1970’s to connect a relatively low number of people and places despite improvements in recent years. Many roads in the country remain in poor condition and remain unconnected to major economic hubs, constraining business, trade and delivery of services.