Goilala’s road to prosperity

Weekender
ROADS
Prime Minister James Marape, Transport Minister and Goilala MP William Samb, and other officials inspecting the Dubi road last Friday. – Nationalpics by MIRIAM ZARRIGA.

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
BORDERING both Morobe and Northern, and located inland of Central, is Goilala.
The district covers mountains and valleys with high agricultural potential.
However, due to the inaccessibility to roads, the income of locals varies greatly, depending where they are located.
Three roads are now being rehabilitated by the Goilala District Development Authority and supported by the National Government.
Prime Minister James Marape made a flying visit to two sites last Friday Dec 17 to see for himself the work done so far on the roads.
The accompanying media contingent divided themselves to cover the PM’s tour; one team heading for five hours up Tapini to Lilo and the other travelling two hours to get to Dubi located along the Kunam and Dubi road.
I was with the second team that travelled along the Kunam-Dubi road which is located a kilometer out from Kuriva along the Hiritano Highway and an hour drive into Goilala.
We were met by locals from two small villages who excitedly decorated the vehicle we were in and told us their excitement of having a road into their village.
We arrived at the site where the stage had been set up and we waited for the arrival of the PM.\
Kunam-Dubi Road
A first for this country, compensation has been refused by a community who want vital services into their villages and local level government (LLG).
Kunam Association Incorporated has come together and collectively agreed to not ask for any form of compensation has they finally see a road built in their village which is in the Woitape LLG, Goilala.
Bringing economic empowerment to the people of Goilala, roads are being constructed to ensure the people are able to have access to markets to sell their produce.
LLG President Fabian Aia said that the income for the villagers in the district is moderate with a lot of villagers relying on the agricultural potential which is high in the lower valleys where transportation to markets is available by the limited roads.
“Those who live in the mountains it is hard because of the inaccessibility due to steep mountains and poor weather conditions considering that Goilala experiences rain every other day.”
When you travel by air into the district, you will see greenery all around you, there are rivers and villages are found far apart, however the one thing that makes Goilala a potential hub in agriculture is the gardens that can be found in the mountain side.
The people build their gardens and plant coffee, copra and cocoa however to bring their produce and to get someone to buy the coffee, copra and cocoa is another problem.
Aia said that villagers travel by air often hiring out a helicopter to get to Port Moresby to sell their produce and then travel back with whatever little money they make.
For the Kunam-Dubi road, the fresh cut road will continue all the way into the Woitape LLG.
Road accessibility

The Toyota Land Cruiser is currently the most appropriate vehicle for the Goilala roads for now. – Picture courtesy of Goilala DDA

Goilala MP William Samb says that the Connect Goilala programme will allow for the people to be able to travel into Port Moresby to sell their produce.
“The leaders have said there is no compensation and they have not laid any claims with the district office.”
“We continue to strive to allow for the people of Goilala to have access to services, we want those inland to be able to travel by road to Port Moresby, and we want money to come into the villages and for the people to sustain themselves.”
“We are not going to give free handouts we want the people to be able to sustain themselves and work to ensure their children go to school, they have good homes, they have services, this road accessibility will allow for schools, health services and other services to be found at the three LLGs and near villages,” Samb said.
We should not be dying along our bush tracks because we are trying to get to hospitals, no we want to bring health services to our people,” he added.
“Road accessibility will bring this services to our people.”
Marape spoke to the villagers about the importance to allow vital services move into provinces.
Three roads will see the government come in to assist the Goilala DDA.
This roads include the Tapini road which has seen K20 million injected to build the road.
In 2019 and 2020 K5m was put into the road. In 2021 K10m has been given to rebuild the road.
Marape made a commitment for K10m every year for the next 10 years for the Tapini road.
For the Dubi road K8m has been used to build the first 15 kilometers of the road.
Marape has committed K5m every year for next 10 years to complete the road which will allow for the farmers to be able to bring down their produce.
To connect Tapini to Bulolo the road project has started with K5m.
Connect Goilala
“In an effort to connect PNG, the Government is looking at distributing evenly resources and monies to every province, so that all provinces and districts see vital services like schools, health centers be built in their areas,” Marape said.
The last two years have not been easy, we have first time minister’s in the government, and today we have tried to turn the canoe we call PNG to carry the country to ensure children are in schools, villages are growing cocoa and coffee to have money.”
“We are making roads and bringing in power and services into provinces and district,” Marape said.
“The 323 roads we have under Connect PNG programe in the last two years we have built this type of roads; the next 10years we will progress this building of roads, and everyone deserves a good road for services.”
“Three roads will see the government come in to assist the Goilala District Development Authority to build the roads,” he added.
Connect Goilala is a programme the Goilala DDA is working to ensure we connect the district to Morobe, to Northern, to Central and to NCD Samb said.
“I want my people to travel into the provinces and sell their produce, they return and build themselves proper homes, or a little business.”
“Proper communication towers can be built and Goilala will be connected to the rest of the world,” Samb said.
“This is what I want to connect Goilala to the rest of PNG.”
Road to prosperity
Roads come in, I can send my children to school in NCD or outside provinces, with roads I can have a hospital built for the district, I can have schools built, with the roads I can travel to see family, the possibilities are endless. says Aia.
Roads bring prosperity and this is something we want to see in the next 20 years for Goilala, Aia added.
As the children play and wave good bye to the Prime Minister, the villagers sing songs of the roads.
They smile knowing they can travel into NCD without spending thousands of kina in hiring a chopper, or traveling on the bush track that can lead to snake bites.
It’s a good day for Goilala.
We leave knowing that we have witnessed a true beginning of new beginnings for the district with all roads leading to prosperity.