Australia to give K415mil for power upgrade

AUSTRALIA will give Papua New Guinea AU$158 million (about K415 million) to upgrade its electricity supply and improve its road infrastructure, according to an agreement reached between prime ministers Scott Morrison and James Marape.
Under the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), Australia will provide AU$86 million (about K226 million) to improve PNG’s electricity infrastructure, to supply power to more than 30,000 households, schools and health facilities.
Communities in Morobe and East New Britain will be connected to the power grid for the first time.
Australia’s funding comes under PNG electrification partnership, supporting the Government’s plan to provide electricity to 70 per cent of the population by 2030.
Australia is also allocating AU$72 million (about K189 million) to upgrade road infrastructure in PNG’s main economic corridors.
It will fund the rehabilitation and maintenance of about 359km of priority roads, including the Sepik Highway in East Sepik and West Sepik, and the Wau Highway in Morobe.
“This financing will assist my Government to progress our priority Connect PNG Strategy, increase strategic connections across Papua New Guinea, and build up critical infrastructure in the power sector,” Marape said.
Morrison said the partnership would support the development of infrastructure in PNG and boost its economy.
“Australia is pleased to support the development of high-quality infrastructure across Papua New Guinea’s diverse regions, and build on our strong record of supporting critical infrastructure across the Pacific,” Morrison said.