K600mil project a test for hydro dam plans

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
THE K600 million Edevu Hydro Dam project in Central will help the government decide whether it can build more hydro-power dams in rural areas under a private partnership policy, acting Prime Minister Richard Maru says.
“Once this project gets off the ground, the government will be able to make use of our many rivers in such arrangement to build hydro dams throughout the county and provide electricity to the rural areas.”
Maru visited the project at Brown River in the Hiri district with Attorney-General Davis Steven, Wabag MP Dr Lino Tom and Kairuku-Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo.
The project is funded by the Chinese Development Bank and built by a Chinese developer.
“This project constructed under the private partnership policy project is a priority. It is in the interest of the government to find a way for this project to continue,” Maru said.
Maru, who is also the National Planning Minister, said that hydro dams built under the private-public policy would save the government a lot of money.
“Such arrangements will enable the developer and the landowners to use their own funds to bring such development,” he said.
“There is no need for them to come to the government for funding assistance. So Edevu is a test case for PNG.
“It must get off the ground because then other hydro-dam projects throughout the country will work as we will use the same agreement with China to fund them.
“We can go to the same bank to get further funding assistance to build hydro dams because the PNG government cannot afford to fund such projects.”