K20mil for bridge: PM

By GYNNIE KERO
PRIME Minister James Marape says K20 million has been earmarked for a new bridge at Hawain, outside Wewak town in East Sepik.
The bridge is located on the Simogun Highway, west of Wewak, and links the province with West Sepik.
During his visit to the province last week, Marape visited Hawain, saying: “This important bridge is a long-outstanding project.
“(I) want the Works Department to ensure local sub-contractors are also engaged to give support to this important road link.”
He commended Governor Allan Bird for being vocal about the poor state of the bridge in parliament.
Bird wrote on his Facebook page that: “He (Marape) wanted to see Hawain Bridge because I had been raising the issue of this bridge for the past two years”.
“I understand that in last December, a contract was awarded to Covec Ltd,” Bird said.
“Covec is a Chinese company that is currently building several bridges in our province.
“The support to rural entrepreneurship, investment and trade programme has offered to fix the current bridge so that our people can keep using it until a new one is built in its place.”
Bird said the Marape-led Government was keen to empower provincial governments “so that we can better respond to issues arising within provinces”.
“It was good for him to see our cocoa programme at work and also the condition of our infrastructure and the importance of empowering us so we can respond quicker,” he said.
Bird said a number of issues were discussed with Marape, one of which included the permanent relocation of the Kadovar Islanders.