Prime Minister Marape recently visited Bunsil Station on central Urumboi island in Morobe. While there, he stated that the remote regions of Papua New Guinea, such as Morobe’s Siassi islands, were no longer being neglected.

Marape launched several impact projects for the Tewai-Siassi District Development Authority (DDA). He also provided K5 million to create a community facility at Bunsil for young people, women, Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE), and small business training. He also said that his government would complete the construction of the Siassi Ring Road.

Another significant development was the construction of a Telikom tower to connect the islands to the internet and provide mobile phone access for the first time. Previously, Lablab was the only location with connectivity in the region. Other projects included a Siassi sub-district administration, three police homes, and a police lock-up.

The prime minister advised the Siassi islanders to focus on fishing and agriculture. He also encouraged them to develop their timber resources instead of letting foreign firms exploit them.

Marape was joined by Dr Kobby Bomareo, the MP for Pangu; the Deputy Leader of Pangu Ginson Saonu; the Minister of Works and Highways, Michael Nali; Minister of Justice, Pila Niningi; and John Rosso, the Minister of Lands and Physical Planning.

The prime minister praised Dr Bomereo and said that Siassi was developing due to his dedication and hard work since his election in 2017.

“Reflect back on how life was before 2017 and what has happened since 2017. Siassi, and the whole country, was travelling along the wrong road until 2019 when we changed government,” Marape said.

“Your MP, Dr Bomareo, was instrumental in this change of government which has led to the many developments you are seeing now. Today, after three years, we are steering the canoe in the right direction, which our founding fathers foresaw in 1975 for equal development all over the country.

“Resources must be equally distributed all over the country and not only to one area like Port Moresby. Remote areas of the country like Siassi have been forgotten for far too long,” he said.

“I want the people of Siassi to have hope for a better tomorrow.”

Image caption: PM Marape, Tewai-Siassi MP Hon. Dr Kobby Bomareo and Morobe Governor Hon. Ginson Saonu join the singsing group at Bunsil Station.