Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape recently announced K100 million in funding for the Madang Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ). Marape pledged the amount at an event in Walium Station in Usino-Bundi. He added that he wants Madang to be a pillar in the country’s economy.
“I want Madang to grow into an economic powerhouse in the country. The National Government will spearhead this, and I appeal to the Madang people to support us in this drive,” Marape said.
The PMIZ project had initially been proposed in 2004 but didn’t begin until 2015 under the O’Neill administration. Despite vast sums of money being spent, nothing had happened with the project. This was something the prime minister wanted to change.
At the event, Marape said that during the previous two administrations’ tenure, hundreds of millions of kina had been spent on PMIZ with little to show for it. He vowed that this was not going to happen again.
He added that the K100 million was already allocated in the 2022 Budget and that the National Fisheries Authority would administer the project.
“We are doing it (PMIZ) much better (than previous governments). This year, for the first time, we are putting K100 million into the PMIZ project. We will be making the PMIZ project come to life for the first time,” Prime Minister Marape said.
Image caption: PM Marape and Madang Governor Hon. Peter Yama being welcomed to Walium Station in Usino-Bundi. FILE PICTURE credit PM JAMES MARAPE News Page
