Wharf gets K660mil price tag

THE Wagang fisheries wharf project in Lae will cost US$200 million (K662mil) and requires peaceful efforts and partnerships between the national and provincial governments, the landowners and various stakeholders to make it a reality.
The wharf will cater for all the fisheries activities and serve all the needs of fishing companies in Lae, said National Fisheries Authority (NFA) managing director John Kasu.
Kasu said the authority was at the final stages of the feasibility study.
Plans for the road have been completed and a report is ready for tendering purposes.
Kasu said the wharf was a national project and will therefore be financed by the Department of Finance.
The project will take between three and five years to complete.
Kasu discussed the wharf project with the media at a function in which he gave K900,000 to fence Bowali Primary School.
The Niugini Pacific Construction Ltd has been engaged to build the fence, which Kasu said is part of the authority’s corporate social responsibility to protect school facilities, 28 teachers and 800 pupils.
He said the authority was also conducting enquiries to identify the genuine landowners in the local communities.
He said the awarding of major construction contracts will go through the normal government tendering process.
Kasu said the authority has also bought the wharf at Vocopoint to create a one-stop shop for local fisheries groups, including boats that transport farm produce to and from.