Numu blames red tape for agri-park demise

By ZACHERY PER
Government bureaucratic red tape has been blamed for killing the K1 billion Eastern Highlands–China agriculture park development at Korofeigu in Ungai-Bena district.
Eastern Highlands Governor Peter Numu blamed Government bureaucracy in Waigani for failing to support the initiative by not playing its part in getting Government’s blessing.
Numu said he initiated the park and arranged with China Railway International to develop it at the cost of K1 billion.
“It is a free K1 billion, money PNG or Eastern Highlands will not repay,” he said.
“It’s not a loan, it’s free money to establish factories, downstream processing facilities for agricultural products.
“Whatever garden produce we sell will be processed and packaged, and sold in China.
“Through this concept, your job is to grow food and sell to the agriculture park.
“The market is already established, Chinese experts will train farmers in Eastern Highlands on how to grow food to suit the requirement of the people of China.”
Numu said despite the good initiative, the O’Neill Government threw the project out, which was one of the reasons he defected to the Opposition.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, when launching electricity projects in Okapa station last week, said of the park: “I want to know how much money this company will invest in the project.
“All these issues are not clear.
“Do not listen to people who want to play politics.”
Agriculture Minister Benny Allan said the park initiative came about as a result of a long sister-province relationship between Eastern Highlands and Fujian Province of China.
Allan said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed and the process to get the concept formalised began with feasibility studies.
He said the company expected them to complete the process in two months but it was too short.
Allan said relevant Government agencies could not meet the deadline so the Government knocked back the process.
“As the site Korofeigu is in my Ungai-Bena electorate, if I don’t deliver, then I failed my people,” he said.
“We are now beginning the process again.”