Enga to fund airport development

By ELIZABETH MIAE
THE Enga provincial government became the first to sign a memorandum of understanding with the National Airport Corporation (NAC) for the development of  Wapenamanda airport.
NAC chief executive officer Joseph Kintau described the occasion yesterday at the NAC headquarters as significant and backed Governor Peter Ipatas’ vision to make Wapenamanda the main port of entry in the province.
He said a lot of times the NAC had been receiving lip services only and it was the first time that a governor was putting money where his mouth was.
Kintau clarified that work was also being carried out in Gurney (Alotau), Boram (Wewak), Hoskins and Goroka airports but were funded by the Asian Development Bank under the Cadip programme. 
In Wapenamanda’s case, Kintau pointed out that it was the first for a provincial government to fund.
“This is a good example of a provincial government that is willing to improve services and it is a good model that we should work on,” he said.
Ipatas presented a cheque for K5 million to Kintau for work to be carried out on the aviation fencing around the airport.
Work on the 4.2km fencing is to begin in May, depending on how fast NAC can secure a contractor to do the work.
Ipatas said the lack of fencing around the airport had been a safety issue for the travelling public and thanked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Foreign Affairs Minister and Wapenamanda MP Rimbink Pato for the counterpart funding towards the development of the airport.
“It is the responsibility of the provincial government to partner with government agencies to deliver services,” he said.
The governor said the terminal was also built by the provincial government and in future, would like to see the extension of the airport.
“We’re interested in completing this project.
“We’re fed up of contracts signed and work not completed and that is basically why we are not keeping the money but we are  partnering with the National Airports Corporation,” he said.