Province to receive spin-off benefits

 THE Department of Commerce Trade and Industry has been directed to identify spin-off activities for impacted communities within the Pacific Marine Industrial Park (PMIZ) project area.

Trade Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru said the Madang Provincial Government would be offered business opportunities from the project.

Maru will travel to Madang next week to discuss with the provincial government and the impacted communities of Kananam, Rempi and Baitata on ways they could participate as equity partners.

While providing an update on the PMIZ yesterday, Maru said ‘work was progressing well’.

Maru predicted that the final designs of the project would be submitted to the State by March or April.

“Once the government is happy and NEC endorses the project to proceed, Prime Minister (Peter O’Neill) will go to Madang to re-launch the park that we have been working over the last two years. We want construction of the park and the water and power plant to start in April.

“Contractor must produce designs of the wharf, treatment plants etc to international standards.

“It’s important we can maintain quality, we are concerned about protecting the environment whatever comes out of the Madang industrial zone is fit to go into the ocean,” he said.

Maru further announced that the state has plans to establish a township opposite the PMIZ for project workers.

The EXIM Bank of China reinstated the concessional loan funding for the project last year.