By JAMES APA GUMUNO
WORKS Minister Don Polye wants K1.2 billion to fix all the roads in the country, apart from the K3 billion Trans-Highway from Wau to Port Moresby.
He intends to secure a K500 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and a K700 million AusAID grant.
Mr Polye will also approach the World Bank, the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and other sources.
He said he would start working on the progamme next year and if all goes well, the national and feeder roads should be fixed up with four years.
Mr Polye, who is also the Transport and Civil Aviation minister and Kandep MP, said the Trans-Highway would be funded by JICA and that discussions for the release of the funds were going smoothly.
He said the highway would bring economic benefits to many people even though some feared it could increase law and order problems in Port Moresby.
“The road will boost agricultural activities in highlands and coastal provinces like Morobe and Madang,” he said last Friday.
He said it would enable farmers to send their produce directly to the nation’s capital instead of by ship, and transportation costs would be reduced.
“It is very important that the project gets off the ground,” Mr Polye said.
“There have been letters to the newspapers saying that this road will create more law and order problems in the nation’s capital but they don’t know what they are talking about.”
Mr Polye said if more Highlanders went to Port Moresby, or coastal people to the Highlands, “let it be”.
“They are all citizens of this country and there has to be unity,” he said.