Promise made for repair of airstrips

Rural Airstrips Agency has assured Governor Allan Bird that the it is committed to restoring and maintaining rural airstrips in East Sepik.
Bird, during a meeting on Monday with representatives of the agency, said his government was expanding the agricultural base of the province by strengthening and increasing the volume of cash crops such as cocoa, vanilla and oil palm.
He said the provincial government was also developing new agricultural projects, such as large-scale rice farming, with internal and external investors.
Bird said the transport infrastructure in the province was important to realising his government’s plan and as such, they have repaired re-opened bridges and fixed broken roads.
Bird believed that re-opening important rural airstrips for his isolated communities will encourage participation in the agriculture sector in the province, as
well improve their access to social services such as health and education.
RAA chief executive John Bromley assured Bird that the agency will work with the provincial government to restore important rural airstrips in the province.
“We were pleased to meet with the governor, and start a relationship going forward to will benefit some of the geographically isolated populations of the East Sepik, so that they can play an active part in the development of their province,” Bromley said.
The Rural Airstrips Agency is the agency responsible for the maintenance of rural airstrips in Papua New Guinea, as directed by the National Executive Council.