Nawaeb shifts focus to rural-based economy

By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE latest approved pro­jects and services by the joint district planning and budget priority committee in Nawaeb district aims at improving the rural-based economy.
The Roros co-operative society in Wain-Erap and the Setimat coffee growers association in Nabak, as major players in the two LLGs commodity sector, were each delivered a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle last Thursday and
Friday respectively by Nawaeb MP and the chariman of the JDP&BPC Timothy
Bonga.
Bonga announced the funding of K100,000 each to the two LLGs for
road maintenance in
the district, which is one of the best organic coffee growing regions in the country.
Other developments include K1 million for seven major roads links, the phasing out of middlemen buyers in the local level governments and greater consultation work with the district’s commercial division to get all coffee
farmers to follow Wain-Erap farmers who have saved more than K1 million.
Bonga said these developments were to improve the rural-based economy of Nawaeb district and to empower the people financially to sustain their livelihood and take part meaningfully in the
development of their district.
District officials and JDP&BPC members hailed the progress of coffee growth in the district, especially in Bandong, Wain-Erap LLG,
where locals are building semi-permanent houses and increasing their
personal wealth despite
the hardships of rural areas.
The visiting JDP&BPC  delegates were told by Coffee Industry Corporation mobile extension officer Michael Toliman, in Bandong, that the LLG had high quality organic coffee, with more than K1 million saved in the farmers accounts at the Microbank.
At Bambok, chairman of the Setimat coffee growers association, Singema Mawa, revealed that
more than 3,000 coffee farmers together owned more than 500,000 coffee trees.
Bonga vowed to build two coffee mills for the two LLGs, which he said, would be based on the scoping works and advice from CIC.
Wain-Erap president Charlie Foike told the coffee farmers and people their new vehicles were approved because of
their effort.
Looking after their vehicles and
benefiting from their use would pave the way for greater help.
The K1 million major road network rehabilitation will cover the
18km Sibi-Boas road construction road at a cost
of K100,000, the 5km
Arisisi-Sararampik road construction at K50,000, the maintenance of the
5km Busu-Bano at K100,000 and K60,000 towards the Erap-Boana road, in Wain-Erap
LLG.
In the Nabak LLG, the Hobu-Gobadik road will be upgraded at a cost of K60,000, while the
Gobadik-Bampok road project will get K150,000 funding and a K50,000 funding for the Labuta-Situm road upgrading.