Jica hosts appreciation tour for media to showcase role

THE Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) held its first media appreciation tour yesterday in order to show its appreciation and raise awareness on Jica’s role in Papua New Guinea to the media.
The tour began at the Jica head office and then proceeded to the Port Moresby General Hospital, Port Moresby sewerage system upgrading project (POM SSUP) at Joyce Bay and the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG).
The main aim of the tour was to show the media the work that the Japan government has been doing to help the people of PNG in the three areas that were toured.
Jica chief representatives Masato Koinuma expressed his gratitude for the media team and stressed on the history of Japan and PNG’s relationship.
“The Japan government began its connection with PNG in 1974 and that connection has been growing and affecting peoples’ lives up to now,” Koinuma said.
“This tour will make the media as well as all the PNG citizens aware of how involved Japan is to the development of PNG.”
Assistant representative Ippei Shimizu said the public was unaware of Jica’s work and he hoped that the tour would allow the media to get their story out.
“The reason for this tour is to expose what Jica is doing.