Airstrip soon to be upgraded

By HELEN TARAWA
NEGOTIATIONS are underway between the Ijivitari district and National Airport Corporation (NAC) for the upgrading of the Tufi airstrip.
Ijivitari MP Richard Masere made the announcement during the Tufi Tapa and Tattoo Cultural Show on Saturday, adding that the upgrade would include fencing and building of the terminal.
Masere, who launched the cultural show, which is in its second year running, said NAC had been the sponsor of the show last year and this year and he was working with them to have the Tufi Airstrip upgraded.
“I also want to inform our people here in Tufi that we are still fighting with the national government through the NAC who are one of our sponsors today,” he said.
Masere said early next year the district development authority would be signing a memorandum of agreement with the Rural Airstrips of PNG to open up the Wanigela Airstrip to continue to promote agriculture and tourism in the district.
“We have recently purchased a tractor for Wanigela to encourage agriculture. We are in the process of purchasing a tractor for Ajoa in our efforts to build agriculture in the Tufi local level government (LLG). We are encouraging our people who are very resilient, to continue to concentrate in growing the agriculture and the tourism sectors in the Tufi LLG.”