Governor grateful with water, agriculture funds for EHP

Eastern Highlands Governor Peter Numu, pictured, says the funding of major impact projects in Eastern Highlands by China could not have come at a better time.
He said that yesterday after China and Papua New Guinea signed documents for US$4.46 billion (K14 billion) worth of impact projects.
The three main projects are the US$4.1 billion high priority economic road project, US$330 million PNG-China integrated agriculture industrial parks in Western and Eastern Highlands and US$32 million Goroka town water supply upgrade.
Numu is jubilant at the long-overdue water project and the agriculture park to be built at Korofeigu outside Goroka along the Highlands Highway.
“Water is a big problem, especially in Goroka town,” he told The National.
“We are thankful to the Chinese government for taking this initiative to set up the water supply project in Goroka. This will relieve the provincial government of this burden.
“It’s a big project and we will be looking at good people, with management skills to technical knowhow,  to look after the water project.”
Numu said the “timing is right” for the agriculture industrial park.
“It falls in line with one of my provincial government’s priority areas, which is agriculture,” he said.
“This major impact project of US$330 million will greatly help our agriculture policy as well.
“We are trying to go back to basics: We don’t have to rely on mining, oil and gas. We have to use the agriculture potential that we have.”
Numu said his government would be well prepared for the project.
“As it is, we are now rolling out mini-markets for each LLG,” he said.
“Next year we should roll out about 10 markets.
“In five years’ time, all the LLGs should have mini-markets to promote agriculture.”
Numu said the agriculture park would help in a big way as it would impact directly on his people.