Milne Bay, New Ireland strengthen relationship

 A VISIT by leaders from the New Ireland (NIP) provincial government to Alotau, Milne Bay, last week, has cemented a sister-province relationship between the two maritime provinces.

Three members of the New Ireland provincial executive council James Pandi, president for Konoagil  local level government and chairman for infrastructure, works and lands, Edwin Maingen, president for Murat local level government and chairman for law and order and Englebert Lutham, appointed member and chiefs representative and chairman for sports and youth, spent four days in Alotau visiting and inspecting projects and programmes that the Milne Bay provincial government is implementing.

They were accompanied by Phillip Kwimb, staff officer of New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan.

The leaders paid a courtesy call to Governor Titus Philemon upon arrival in Alotau last Wednesday where they discussed issues of common interest, then spent the next three days visiting project sites.

Projects visited included the PNG Ports wharf, which hosts large cruise tourism ships monthly, the provincial transport authority to discuss the Milne Bay small crafts law and its practical application at the Sanderson Bay, the informal market, Transit Hotel, the new assembly and administration buildings, the Padipadi Oil Palm estate and nursery, the Bubuleta agriculture and fisheries research station.

The leaders said they were impressed with the projects that had been undertaken in the province. 

He said there were a lot of things the two provinces had in common and should be nurtured and developed through a sister-province relationship.