The National Archive institution for Morobe Province, located in Lae, is in critical need of funding to improve its status since its establishment in 1974.
The archive was established by the Department of Education through the Archives and Library unit, to cater for government records and files for the Momase and Islands regions.
Archivist, Lendy Som, is calling on both the National Government and Morobe Provincial Government, to visit the institution in order to maintain and upgrade it.
This government institution that keeps the historical records of Momase and the Islands regions, has never been funded since its establishment in March 1974.
The National Government and the Morobe Provincial Government has not allocated funds to improve the condition of the building where the where records and history of the country is held.
Archivist, Lendy Som, who was managing the office from 1974 to 2006 says, the provincial government and departments are not aware that the office exists.
This building used to be the Works and Supply warehouse before it was turned into a repository or storage area.
The Department of Education, through the Archives and Library unit, transformed the warehouse into the government record and file storage house at the industrial area at Montoro Street in Lae.
Archivist, Lendy Som; Officer in-charge, Julian Maki; and attendant Regina Kaori take care of two repositories, catering for more than 1,000 cubic metres of government information files from 1954-1996.
The office still awaits files from the government departments to store, in order to keep information and records for future purposes.
Its main concern is getting the much-needed funding for renovation, installation of a cool room with specific lighting, and computerised data storage.
Officer in Charge, Julian Maki, calls on both the National and Provincial government to act quickly to address the concerns.
