K27.2 billion needed for development plan 3: Maru

The National Main Stories

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
NATIONAL Planning and Monitoring Minister Richard says the Medium Term Development Plan III needs about K27.2 billion to implement to grow the economy.
He said this during the launch of MTDP III at Sir John Guise Indoor Stadium in Port Moresby on Saturday.
“This is a very ambition plan because we have to make up for the lost years since 1975,” Maru said.
“We will build five new national highways and four big sea ports in the country.” These highways are:

  • Mamose Highway that will link Watarais in Morobe to Madang, East Sepik and West Sepik right through to Wutung at the Indonesia-PNG border;
  • Trans Island Highway linking Morobe to Gulf and Port Moresby;
  • Southern Highlands to Kikori in Gulf;
  • Port Moresby to Alotau; and
  • Madang to Baiyer (Western Highlands).

Maru said ports would be built in Manus, Kikori (Gulf), Wewak (East Sepik) and Vanimo (West Sepik).
“These national highways and wharves will be built to tap into the vast agricultural potential in these isolated areas,” he said.
“We are also going to reopen 80 airstrips. These existing airstrips have been closed for a long time.
“This plan is to reach those who have not been reached and for those who have not been served. This plan is the most-ambitious plan of any Government since Independence in 1975.
“We will fund this plan by growing our economy by increasing our exports and decreasing imports.”
Maru said that currently there is a big demand for services throughout the country “but our economy is far too small”.
“That’s our single biggest problem. We have internal revenue of about K10 billion annually. Demand to provide various Government services for eight million populations is far ahead to be able to meet the expectation of our people.”