Road works rolled out

By JACINTA DOKTA
FOUR provinces will be part of a road maintenance roll-out programme through a partnership between the Department of Works and Highways and the Japanese International Corporation System (JICS).
Works and Highway executive director operations Jason Vela said Madang, West Sepik, East New Britain (ENB) and Western would undergo second phase of the capacity development for road maintenance (CDRM) by JICS to complement the department’s road programme.
Vela said of the four provinces, Madang and ENB were nearing completion.
“Western just started and Vanimo would begin its CDRM programme next month,” he said.
He said the second phase is from 2021 to 2024.
He said the department did short roads under the CDRM programme where the training focused on less than 500 meter roads.
Japanese International Corporation System (JICS) chief representative Matsuoka Hideaki says the CDRM project would contribute to PNG’s sustainable goal and urged for the department’s cooperation.
Hideaki said there were challenges with budgeting, equipment, manpower, laboratories for material testing and workshop facilities.
“JICS’s resources were limited and our main focus was on the CDRM project,” he said.
“About K250, 000 was allocated from the PTB trust account in 2022 and 2023 to each of the provinces but an outstanding of K1 million is yet to be settled.”
Vela said that the department must be careful planning projects in provinces with equipment for road construction.