Country to get K9mil

PAPUA New Guinea will be receiving equipment worth about K9 million from Japan for the provision and construction of disaster-response equipment.
Japan’s ambassador to PNG Satoshi Nakajima said Japan would provide bulldozers, excavators, motor graders, wheel loaders, water trucks, single-drum rollers, dump trucks and mobile workshop trucks.
Nakajima said the memory of the earthquake that hit the Highlands region in February last year and destroyed many roads had not faded.
“Papua New Guinea and Japan are prone to natural disasters,” he said.
“Japan hopes that these construction and disaster response equipment will assist with road rehabilitation in the affected areas as well as contribute towards strengthening PNG’s capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, and help build resilient infrastructure for economic development.
“We are pleased to note that the equipment Japan provided previously has been fully utilised by the Department of Works.
“PNG’s ownership for maintaining the equipment is highly commendable.
“From 2013 to 2017, Japan conducted technical cooperation, transferring knowhow for road maintenance to our PNG counterparts where the equipment was provided. Japan will continue extending this technical support for another three years to maximise the effect of the equipment.”
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Soroi Eoe thanked the people of Japan for helping PNG have better roads.
“I know very well that Japan has been helping PNG develop way before I got into Parliament. Some of its help got unnoticed sometimes.”
Eoe urged the Government to look into areas which have no roads rather than entirely focusing on maintaining existing roads.