MP calls for better water transport deal

PNG needs a fairer policy and funding for water transport infrastructure, Kavieng MP and shadow treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey says.
While launching several banana boats and 40hp engines worth over K200,00, at Bagail Beach last week, the MP said PNG was not doing enough to support its key water transport infrastructure.
He said the Transport Department received only K13m in 2017, just 2 per cent of all transport sector spending, while road transport received
81 per cent and air transport got 17 per cent.
“The term maritime province in PNG is very much misunderstood by our own people and even leaders,” Ling-Stuckey said.
“Many citizens often think of maritime provinces as only those provinces on an island surrounded by water but most are not aware that there are 14 provinces in PNG with an ocean border, representing almost 64 per cent of all provinces.”
Ling-Stuckey said those 14 provinces made up three of the four regions in PNG – New Guinea Islands, Mamose and Southern region.
Ling-Stuckey said based on the 2011 national population census, New Guinea Islands represented 15 per cent, Mamose 26 per cent and Southern 20 per cent of the country’s population.
He said together, maritime provinces and those with a common border with the ocean represented about 61 per cent of the population or about 4.4 million citizens.
“Yet there seems to be a disproportionate allocation of infrastructure spending on national and provincial roads of K609 million in 2017 for example, and K127 million on airports, compared to permanent vessels, wharves, jetties and light-houses of only K13 million” the shadow treasurer said.
“A whole-of-network view is required that overcomes the compartmentalisation between the responsibilities of the national transport agencies and the responsibilities of provinces and LLGs,” Ling-Stuckey said