Maru pleased with progress of agriculture projects

National

NATIONAL Planning Minister Richard Maru says the Government is focused on delivering services to its people.
The Yangoru-Saussia MP was in his district last weekend to check on the progress of ongoing projects.
He was pleased with developments so far on the multimillion kina Sepik chicken, grain and cocoa project on the Sepik Plains.
Civil work has begun on 12 hectares of land earmarked for the regional cocoa nursery project.
Contractor HBS Construct said the initial phase was expected to be completed in two months.
Meanwhile, building materials for the chicken, grain and cocoa project facilities arrived and construction is expected to begin in two weeks.
Special Sepik Economic Zone (SSEZ) Project implementation manager Thomas Yehiwara said construction would comprise key facilities, including the farmer training centre, feed mill and other infrastructure.
Construction of the facilities is expected to be completed by February next year.
Another project, the Yangoru Mobile Unit Barracks, is also taking shape.
The barracks is understood to be part of the SSEZ infrastructure investments under the law and justice sector.
Once completed, the barracks will be a model police barracks that will serve East Sepik, West Sepik and the PNG-Indonesian border areas.
The barracks will consist of 45 houses, so far 32 houses are being built with another 13 to go.
In the meantime, Divine Word University’s St Benedict’s Campus in Kaindi, Wewak is set to welcome its first 40 students this year for the Boram School of Nursing under the Faculty of Medical Sciences.
St Benedict’s Campus president Dr Lawrence Arokiaraj said with the completed classroom and assimilation room, the university was ready for new intakes.
Maru said the Government was excited to see more opportunities for nurses opening given the critical shortage of medical professions in the country.
He said this year, East Sepik would see a number of major infrastructure get off the ground, among them the Boram General Hospital, Boram Airport, Wewak International Wharf and the Mamose International Highway.