Service’s return to district expected before end of year

National

AIR services are set to return to Buin and South Bougainville before the end of this year.
South Bougainville development authority (DDA) and the Rural Airstrip Agency (RAA) last Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding paving way for the restoration of the old Buin Airstrip.
The DDA was represented by chief executive officer and Buin manager Peter Kamuai and RAA chief executive officer Kimbi Perry Martin.
To ensure work begins, the DDA, through chairman and South Bougainville MP Timothy Masiu gave K300,000 as an upfront payment for RAA to start work.
The airstrip had been abandoned at the height of the Bougainville conflict.
The signing was the culmination of a lot of effort by Masiu to get landowner consent and approval as well as finding the right organisation to undertake the work.
Masiu and Autonomous Bougainville Government member for Baubake Jacob Toke said it was a significant milestone for South Bougainville.
The two leaders acknowledged the support of the landowners assuring them that there would be enormous benefits to be gained from re-opening the airstrip, including increase business and commercial activities and tourism. RAA chief executive Kimbi Perry Martin said work would start after a survey of the airstrip.
Meanwhile, Masiu announced that engineers from Telikom PNG would be visiting Buin soon to install and connect bmobile and Telikom mobile services.