Boat to help people
The National, Tuesday November 5th, 2013
By FRANCIS POKA
THE people of Manda living near the border of Jiwaka and Chimbu have been given a banana boat to cross the Waghi River.
For years,they had to swim across or use old tyre tubes to cross the river with their cargo.
Countless lives and property, including store goods, have been lost on those crossings.
Last Friday, Anglimp-South Waghi MP Joe Koim told the people in Minj that a nine-foot banana boat with a 40-horsepower outboard engine would be used to cross the river from now on.
Koim said many lives and property had been lost while the people waited for a bridge to be built across the river.
He said the boat was bought in Lae for more than K50,000.
He urged the people to use it wisely.
He has bought excavators to construct roads.
Koim has registered 100 groups that will access funds as loans from the Micro Finance Bank. He said each association would have a sawmill and sell timber to generate income.
Koim committed K2 million for infrastructure development for the schools in the electorate.
Jiwaka Governor Dr William Tongamp thanked Koim and said it was time to deliver government services to the people.