Beautiful Madang turns ugly

By MATHEW YAKAI
MADANG. Once known as the pearl of the Pacific in terms of tourism can longer stand up to that claim. Infrastructure around the town has fallen in a heap with the roads now counting as one of the worst in the entire country.
Crater-like potholes have erupted in the town and no one, it seems, has taken ownership of the problem. Some of these potholes are so huge that vehicles have to slow down to manoeuvre their way around it to get through.
These gaps on the road are forcing PMV’s to not operate on their designated urban routes and passengers have to walk the extra distance to their desired destination.
Even pedestrians have to be wary in this areas in case of a vehicle driving up near the footpath or water from these watery mires being splashed onto them.
The potholes in front of Anderson, or butchery, as it is popularly known, is growing wider by the day. The wet season is not making things better.
Smaller vehicles find it harder to negotiate these areas while the 4x4s are also having a hard time getting through.
In front of the town Brian Bell and just beside Madang Provincial Admin block that houses the Madang Open Electorate Admin office proudly sits another huge, crater-like pothole. Most vehicles shy away from that road.
From the town police station driving up the street towards Anderson, you will come across water logged drains covered with tall grass.
Along the same area, the drains and road are inundated with water when a heavy downpour occurs.
The water literally runs into the building because of the bad drainage system.
Between Boroko Motors, Ela Enterprises and Chemicare Hardware is a roundabout with lines of huge potholes where only land cruisers can manage.
It is like riding in a dirt road somewhere in remotest places of the province. Madang Open MP Nixon Duban recently announced that a Korean company is in the process of building a five star hotel in Madang and Governor Jim Kass wants the PNG defence Force to build a base in Madang. Madang Provincial Administrator Danny Aloi has signed several MOU/MOA with ICCC and IPA to have local establishments in the town.
Government announced that some of 2018 APEC Meeting and “Talk-Shops” will be held in Madang.
Those are the wise talk of people in authority.
Whether the roads will get any better because of these new ‘projects’ is anyone’s guess. But for years now the people of Madang and genuine tax payers have suffered big time on basic infrastructures in Madang including the very bad road situation.
Besides the main town market and fish market built by the taxpayers from Japan, it seems that the National Government and Madang Provincial government have not provided any basic services and major impact projects in Madang over the last ten years.
While Ramu NiCo, RD Group of Companies, Globe, BAT, etcetera, are in operation currently, the economy of the town is barely there.
Marengo Mine is still going through exploration and PMIZ is now seeking the second phase of China Exim Bank Loan but will the people have any benefits at all?.
The economy of Madang is now powered by betelnut buyers from the highlands putting money into the pockets of Madang population but the rest of the Madang people have been left high and dry.
Once presumed to be the leading tourism spot in PNG, Madang is now not going anywhere fast because the potholes and lack of good leadership in the province is keeping it back.
It is a total shame to bring foreign tourists into Madang only for them to see and experience first up the meanest and baddest potholes in the country.