Ihu special economic zone only one approved: Eoe

KIKORI MP Soroi Eoe has clarified that the Ihu Special Economic Zone project is the only one approved by law in the district.
Eoe was responding to a rumour that a Kikori special economic zone project had been recruiting Fijians to work there.
He discussed the matter with Fiji High Commissioner to PNG Mosese Tikoitoga.
He said they discussed the report that a person (named) from Kikori had been recruiting Fijians with a promise of lucrative pay for the Kikori special economic zone.
Eoe said he only knew about the Ihu special economic zone and had no idea about a Kikori special economic zone.
“The Kikori special economic zone is totally separate from the Ihu special economic zone,” he said.
“The Ihu special economic zone is the only project recognised and approved under the special economic zones law passed last November.
“Funding for the Ihu special economic zone had been allocated.”
Eoe said the proposed project was yet to be launched.
“It is to have a trade free zone, petroleum park, industrial zone, technology park, government and administration zone, a Kikori seaport and Ihu international airport.
Kikori will host five major impact resource development projects in the next five years including the Papua LNG project.
The projects will make significant contributions to the country’s economic growth, increase the gross domestic product, create employment, boost growth in the SME sector, meet local and national content obligations, and improve people’s lives through infrastructure development.
The expected benefits include between K10 billion to K12 billion annually for the Government after completion of stage one – that is for the first 15 years of being fully operation.