Kabwum District Administrator, Ezekiel Nigo has called on the locals of Kabwum District to put their political differences aside and focus on building the new road that would link four Districts, Tewai-Siassi, Kabwum, Finschhafen and Naweab to Morobe’s Capital City, Lae.
The Lae-Kabwum Road is a priority project of the Morobe Provincial Government. The road will start from Hobu to Samanzing of Nawaeb District and continues to the Sarawaget Range and over to Indagen Village of Komba LLG in Kabwum District.
According to the Provincial Support Improvement Program Coordinator and Lae-Kabwum Road Committee Secretary, Sebastian Singery, 34 trekkers from Nabak in Nawaeb District, Burum in Finschhafen District, and Indagen in Kabwum District left Lae and walked to Indagen to carry out the feasibility study.
The trekkers were transported by vehicles to Suguza gap in the Nabak LLG of Nawaeb District. They then took a hike up to Samanzing village, overnight and crossed the Sarawaget Range with GPS devices for the Lae-Kabwum Road.
They were then joined by the Lae-Kabwum Road Committee and Kabwum District Administrator, Ezikiel Nigo last weekend.
“Transportation into Kabwum is very challenging. The people travel by sea on cargo and passenger boat and small out board motors. Just last month, around 9 to 10 small out-board motor sunk. It’s quite risky. Another mode of transport used is by the third level airline. Currently, there’s only one third level airline company operating and the cost is so high.” said Singery.
The PSIP Coordinator said the Morobe Provincial Government had to charter a chopper to transport the Road Committee to Indagen last weekend because the only third level airline company wasn’t operating.
“We couldn’t make it on the small plane so we had to hire the chopper. And a trip from Lae to Indagen in Kabwum District and back cost us almost K25 thousand.” said Singery.
The Morobe Provincial Government gave K1 million for the preparation of the road project including the launching that would take place in Indagen this Thursday, (31st September 2023). The Provincial Government has allocated another K2 million for the Lae-Kabwum Road, but that is yet to be received.
The Lae-Kabwum Road Project is one of Morobe’s biggest economic corridors and will bring in government services into the rural population of the FISIKA region.
Morobe’s Members of Parliament including Finschhafen MP and National Planning Minister, Renbo Paita, Lae MP, Tewai-Siassi MP and Housing Minister, Kobby Bomareo and Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso were invited to attend the launching.
Prime Minister, James Marape was also given an invitation to attend following a commitment of K100 million he made in 2019 during the 100 Year Anniversary Celebration of the Lutheran Church.
According to the Lae-Kabwum Road Committee, they are still waiting for the Prime Minister’s commitment.
Meanwhile, the committee called on the Prime Minister to attend and fulfill his commitment.
Related: https://insidepng.com/appeal-on-lae-kabwum-road-project/
