‘Developing towns is way forward’

By ZACHERY PER
THE national urbanisation programme should be included in every development programme, Office of Urbanisation director Max Kep says.
“If PNG is to develop and progress in positive directions, we need to urbanise and modernise our towns and cities,” he said.
The urbanisation programme began in 2003 and an office was set up in 2004, with the urbanisation policy 2010-30 developed and approved by the national government in 2010.
But because of a lack of funding from the government, the programme is progressing at a slow pace.
Kep said this at the highlands regional national lands development programme workshop in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, last week.
He said under the urbanisation programme, they took on board settlements on the periphery of towns and cities, and had them participate meaningfully.
“In PNG, we have 15% of the population living in towns and cities. This population is increasing every year with squatter settlers making towns and cities look like villages,” he said.
Kep said if the government, through the urbanisation programme, did not do anything today, “there will be chaos, mayhem and anarchy in the future”.
He said they should make towns and cities conducive for growth so land development could be planned properly.
“We have four pilot projects in Minj, in Jiwaka, Faniufa in Eastern Highlands, Tari in Hela and Taurama in the National Capital District, which are progressing well,” he said.
The chief of the Minj area in Jiwaka, Sir Dupre Tumun, welcomed the team from the national government on a site visit to the Minj urbanisation project.
He called for more money to speed up the project.
Sir Dupre said they were happy to be the recipients of the project.
He said it was good for them to develop the project on State land and they wanted faster progress.
Kep told the people of Minj they were starting to upgrade roads and a new office complex was about to be completed.
“The progress in Minj is so far good as the people have showed good cooperation and support,” Kep said.
He met with leaders from Faniufa village, Goroka, Eastern Highlands, last Friday to discuss the progress there.