PMIZ project will boost fisheries in Madang, says official

THE Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) project in Madang will expand the fisheries sector in the province, Madang Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Kevin Murray says.
Murray said although there was nothing definite on the project, communities around Madang were in favour of the initiative as it would create jobs.
“A number of canneries will be developed apart from RD Tuna which is the main one in the province today,” he said.
National Fisheries Authority (NFA) acting managing director Justin Ilakini said that the NFA was now going back to the drawing board to make sure that the project was done correctly with Government approving K100 million for it in this year’s budget. He said work was underway to have a project steering committee comprising officers from relevant departments with the department of National Planning and Monitoring and the NFA co-chairing the project team.
“Government transferred the PMIZ project to the NFA,” Murray said.
“In the last budget they approved K100 million for the project.
“We have, more or less, gone back to the drawing board to make sure that everything is done properly.
“What we are doing now is to make sure that every study that needs to be done is done.”
Ilakini said the NFA would ensure that there were development partners on hand to help develop the project.
“It’s a really big project and the Government feels strongly that it’s a good project that will create more than 30,000 jobs.
“It will provide the opportunity for investors to come and set up maybe more than 10 tuna processing plants and other spinoff benefits for the local people.”
Ilakini said the government had already bought land for the project.