Govt has not forgotten about Bulolo Highway: Marape

PRIME Minister James Marape has assured Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu that there is no sinister motive in delaying the contract or construction of the Bulolo Highway and that his government is aiming towards permanent reconstruction.
Saonu raised the issue of delay and asked why no work had been carried out yet five months after launching the project. “The road impacts access to the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture, alluvial mining activities, National Forest Authority, all important assets of the nation,” said Saonu.
As a result of his government raising the issue of development needed along the Wau-Bulolo Highway, funding was made available by the Australian government, Marape said. “K66 million sounds like it is a lot of money, but people must know that the Australian maintenance contract of K66 million is just for road maintenance and not for permanent work,” he said.
Although the contract had already been awarded to a local contractor, the prime minister wrote to the Australian high commissioner and Works minister, asking for variations to the contract to reconstruct the highway more permanently for the better.
Marape said when he drove from Mumeng to Lae, after attending a Wafi-Golpu landowners’ meeting, he noticed that more than the budgeted K66 million provided would be needed to fix the highway.
He said his government had allocated an additional K50 million to build a permanent and lasting road to serve the people of Huon Gulf, Bulolo and Menyamya who lived along the Bulolo Highway.
“I have been seeing a lot of comments and criticisms about this from different people, however, that does not mean the Government has forgotten about it,” Marape said.