FPDA building changes Goroka skyline

THE skyline of Goroka will take a new look following completion of the K20 million new head office of the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA).
It adds to the new-look Goroka Airport which was opened last June.
FPDA general manager Mark Worinu is excited about the new four-storey building built by Chinese company, Guangdong Foreign Construction Company (GDFC) PNG Ltd, as it nears completion.
“This is a milestone for the organisation and is nearing completion,” he says.
“It was supposed to be completed last month, but because of some additional work and variations, it looks like it will be completed by the end of June.
“We’re looking forward to that.
“The contractors and the project manager are ensuring that construction work does not continue after June.
“We would like to see that construction work is completed after the end of June.
“We are pretty much on target.”
Worinu says it is a “very important project”.
“FPDA has never had a good office,” he says.
“We’ve been around for 30 years.
“I think this is a statement for the organisation, and it also gives hope to our farmers and the sector.
“We look forward to a grand opening of the building around the end of June.”
Worinu says the original cost was K12 million, but because of an additional floor and variations, costs had risen to K20 million.
“The top floor is for the board and executive management,” he says.
“The first floor and the second will be leased out.
“The third floor will be the FPDA office.
“There has been a lot of interest shown so far by different companies, who have already seen us to take up space on the first and second levels.
“That’s very good for us as an organisation.
“Most of the time, we ask the Government to support our development programmes, but if we can make a little bit of money, it can support our development programmes and also maintain a building of such quality.
“People are moving in around July or so, which is when funds will start coming in to support our programmes and maintain the quality of the building.
“We look forward to it.”
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new FPDA office complex was held on June 13, 2017, and construction work commenced straight after the event.
Contractor GDFC has been involved in constructing projects for the University of Natural Resources and Environment, student facilities for University of Goroka and is now building the Enga Provincial Hospital.
Construction was initially planned to have taken 18 months but has taken an additional six months.
A GDFC spokesman says they started work on the project in July 2017.
“We expect everything to be completed by July this year,” he adds.
“We have got four floors, steel structures and concrete walls.
“We have 20 Chinese engineers and 80 national workers who have worked on the project.
“We very much enjoyed working on the project, especially the culture, climate and the cooperation of national workers.
“A feature of this building will be the lift, which is the first ever in Goroka.
“The ventilation and lighting systems are also features of this building.”