Business sector defends role in developing Lae

THE Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has defended the business sector’s stand on the terrible Lae city Roads.
President Alan Maclay made this known through his Christmas message in the chamber’s festive newsletter.
His remarks followed comments made last week by Works Minister Peter O’Neill and Morobe Governor Luther Wenge.
Mr Maclay agreed with comments made by Mr O’Neill that the Lae community needed better roads.
He said the minister’s promise of looking into fixing the roads highlights that without proper funding the roads would collapse.
Mr Maclay stated that the promise from the minister looked a lot better than Governor Wenge’s comments during the PNG Power’s launching of new generators at the Taraka sub-station last Tuesday.
He said Mr Wenge’s message shows that he actually does not care about the potholes in Lae because the corporate sector did not care.
Mr Wenge continued to say that business people just kept coming in to start new business and invest in the city – with the potholes eventually getting fixed.
Mr Maclay took offence to this, saying that this was totally untrue and had not been the case.
In fact, he affirmed that the corporate sector has been extremely concerned about the condition of the roads and has been conscious of the added cost to conducting business in the city.
He said there were a lot of businesses who have been really struggling due to the after effects of the world recession and the condition of the Lae roads worsened it.