Namatanai signs talk deal

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

NAMATANAI district in New Ireland has signed a deal with Digicel PNG Ltd to enhance communication services in the district.

In the agreement, the district will provide K2 million for each of the next four years from the district service improvement programme to enhance mobile communication, GPS and IT services such as internet, email, television and radio broadcast services in the district.

Digicel PNG will develop and erect towers to allow people access to communication and IT services in the next four years. It will also assist schools to access IT services for their research through the palm tablets computers to be provided.

The deal was signed at the Mining Ministry Office in Port Moresby last Friday. Namatanai was represented by district administrator Abraham Alapi and district treasurer David Manil. Digicel was represented by Gary Deddon, its director for government business.

Deddon said it was an exciting development for the district. It will also mean the district health and education services should benefit from the Digicel foundation.

The district administration allocated K700,000 to the foundation to provide health and education facilities.

Namatanai MP Byron Chan said the priority of the district was communication and roads.