MPs should unite to revive Lae’s glory days, says mayor

By PISAI GUMAR
LAE city’s ability to generate millions of kina into state coffers while remaining an urban local level government needs to be recognised by granting her city commission status, Lord Mayor James Khay says. 
Khay has been calling for past four years for the government to recognise the significance of Lae being the country’s industrial hub and contributing millions of kina annually to the state while being unable to tax state agencies.
“It’s time all Morobe politicians get together to ensure Lae city attains commission status so it can receive direct funding from government as well have the power to collect taxes from state agencies to improve its infrastructure and facilities so it can contribute more back to the state,” he said.
Although the Lae City Council has certified technical officers like city planners, road engineers, health and sanitation, parks and gardens experts it but cannot use their skills to improve the city’s status because of inadequate funding.
“The destiny of Lae city is yet to be known because of no standard road map of how Lae city should look in the future,” Khay said.
“The population keep increasing, causing traffic congestion each morning, lunch hour and evening.
“We have got to think critically, draw up something and act for better results before it’s too late.
“Simple things such as a public toilet at Top Town that no longer exists, while the market area beside the hockey field is hell.
“At Eriku the police station beside Andersons Foodland is left to rot while hooligans take control of daily movements of innocent people and which triggered the unrest that led to five deaths last year.
“The street lights, city parking areas, pedestrian crossings, traffic sign posts are no longer in existence, while drains are filthy with plastic shopping bags and overgrown grass.
“We need leaders to come together to rescue our city to retain its former glory days as the garden city,” Khay said.