Great news for our second city

 IT is the dawn of a new era for Lae City.

Popularly dubbed “Rainy Lae”, the Morobe capital has seen the best and worst of times.

From its glory days as the “garden city” to the dark ages as “pothole city” and crime hotspot, Lae has barely survived the natural and man-made problems.

The country’s industrial hub is now on the verge of its greatest transformation.

As Prime Minister Peter O’Neill aptly stated, “Lae City is going to become the heartbeat of this nation and it is important that we have an administration of the city and the services in an orderly manner that is going to add to the value of the services that we provide to the nation.”

O’Neill was in Lae last week to allay fears and reassure provincial and local leaders that the proposed Lae City Commission was in the best interests of the city and province. The nation as a whole stands to benefit .

O’Neill said the realisation of the Lae City Commission would complement the major projects currently being undertaken.

They include the redevelopment and rehabilitation projects for Lae port, Lae city roads, Lae-Nadzab road, Nadzab Airport and the Angau Memorial Hospital.

These are massive infrastructure projects costing the National Government and our development partners like Japan and Australia hundreds of millions of kina. 

The Nadzab Airport project alone costs US$2 billion (almost K5 billion) and is funded by the Japanese Government, while the Angau hospital project costs K500 million and is funded by the Australian government.

O’Neill was instrumental in initiating these projects and he was not going to allow dissention by leaders like Morobe Governor Kelly Naruget in the way of the proposed administrative structure for the city.

The Prime Minister’s quick visit to Lae last Wed­nesday convinced Naru and other Morobe leaders to accept the proposed city commission. Unlike the National Capital District Commission, Lae will not be an elective commission but an administrative arrangement.

Even so, elected leaders such as the Morobe governor, Lae MP, city lord mayor, and president of Ahi Local Level Government will be part of the new commission.

O’Neill’s announcement that the city commission will be funded directly by the National Government is a welcome assurance for residents and the business community that their cash-strapped city will finally have the financial means and muscle to stand on its own feet.

For too long, the Morobe provincial government has dictated financial matters for the city and virtually starved the Lae City Council of necessary operational funds.

Hopefully, that will no longer be the case and the new commission will have financial autonomy and be able to plan and implement its own budget.

However, there will be no change to the funding arrangements. As O’Neill said, the funds that the Morobe Provincial Government, Lae City Authority and the Ahi LLG get will remain the same. These include the distribution of the goods and services tax (GST) and other revenues that go to each of these respective agencies.

“Our aim is to try to get all these different agencies to work together in a cohesive manner that will serve the interest of our people and residents.” We agree with the Prime Minister that Lae city, which is on the verge of a major economic boom, must be given the top priority it deserves.

Governor Naru and his provincial leaders must be commended for accepting the proposed city commission because the new organisation will need their total support and assistance to effectively deliver the services that Lae residents and the business community need.

It is envisaged that the city commission will develop and grow Lae into a modern metropolis that will fully and efficiently cater for a growing population and the business sector.

For too long the city has suffered from insufficient funding and maladministration, partly caused by the lack of political leadership at the provincial and national levels.

Fortunately, the winds of political change that swept over Waigani in 2011 and 2012 have had a most positive impact on the city that never stops raining.