Make it happen for Gulf

THE advent of another major resource project presents the biggest opportunity yet for prosperity in Gulf.
Papua LNG, a project of similar significance to the current PNG LNG project should catapult this part of the county that has lagged behind much of the country in terms of socio-economic progress.
Gulf has given Papua New Guinea some of our best and skilled workers even from the very beginning, well before Independence.
A legacy of a mobile generation of the migrant workers such as builders, teachers and casual labourers is the number of Kerema settlements in places Madang and Lae and notably Port Moresby.
Out of Gulf came the country’s second governor-general Sir Tore Lokoloko, who was followed a few years later by another Gulf son and one of the PNG’s pioneer novelists Vincent Serei Eri.
Out of Gulf came former prime minister Sir Mekere Morauta, whom we recently buried and many eulogised in glowing terms for his role in shaping the public service and bringing order into the financial sector.
Also from the province were many athletes who have carried the country aloft on the track, courts and on rugby fields.
Gulf resources such as timber and fishery have contributed much to the national purse.
Soon, it will be the major source of natural gas that will be extracted under the Papua LNG project.
It is ironic that a province that is so rich in natural resources, including human, capital should be left in the state it is today.
Many commentators have blamed the lack of progress in Gulf on politicians and bureaucrats of the past.
With the standard of services available in Kerema town, it is little wonder why public servants travel to Port Moresby.
However, going forward, the province’s leadership can learn from the past and make the best use of the opportunities that would come from the major developments.
The experiences of other provinces which have had resource projects in the past should be good lessons for Gulf to avoid. The recent announcement in Kerema by Prime Minister James Marape that major projects, including the upgrading of the national highway from Port Moresby, the upgrading of Kerema town roads and the Ihu special economic zone, is welcome news.
When the country’s second LNG project first appeared in public discussions, a special economic zone at Ihu was also mooted.
The rational was that, unlike the first LNG project, much of the economic activity, including even downstream processing of the resource should occur on Gulf turf.
Former governor Havila Kavo was quite vocal about this and made his stand unequivocally.
Although out of the picture today, Kavo and all who have had a hand in the planning of such a development would no doubt be appreciative of what has happened since.
The special economic zone was launched by Marape this week.
With this major gas project only a few critical steps away from realisation, connecting the northern half of the country through Morobe from Gulf may be a lot more realistic as revenues come in and spin-off activities fall into place.
While it is great news, the gas project involves highly technical workers would come from outside of the province and country.
As we’ve seen in the first LNG project, employment opportunities locals would be quite limited.
However, opportunities to indirectly benefit from this big undertaking are limitless and available if they make good use of their other resources from the land and sea.