PMIZ project to start soon

By GYNNIE KERO
THE Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) in Madang will begin after the project management signed an agreement in Port Moresby for its design and construction.
Trade, Commerce and Industry acting secretary Gerard Dogimab said yesterday the signing will launch the US$95 million project in Madang.
He said the project has been delayed for five years due to funding and other related reasons.
Dogimab said the marine (fishery) was not the only component of PMIZ because the scope of the project has been changed to become an industrial zone catering for other income generating activities such as copra and cocoa among others.
“Work on PMIZ must go on in the next seven to eight months,” he said.
“Madang port will move to PMIZ with three different wharves for ocean liners, a fish wharf and an artisan wharf (local fishermen).”
National Fisheries Authority (NFA) managing director Sylvester Pokajam said the project has been slow in the past few years, adding that it has to start right away.
As part of the agreement, Rumbam Engineers Ltd was tasked with monitoring of the Chinese contractor in the designing and construction of PMIZ.
“We will ensure that China Shenyang International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co-operation Ltd complies with Papua New Guinea’s standards,” principal engineer Bamake Rumbam said.