The Department of Works Highlands Division received 12 pieces of earthmoving and road construction equipment.
These machines were handed over by Works Minister, Francis Awesa, to Western Highlands Governor, Pias Wingti. The machines will be based in Mt.Hagen, and used for road maintenance throughout the Highlands region.
The handover ceremony took place in Mt.Hagen last Friday.
Mt.Hagen city was flooded with yellow last Friday, as all 12 machines including backhoes, front-end loaders, excavators, roller, 4 dump trucks, a land cruiser, and a mobile workshop, were paraded into Queens Park.
The visiting delegation included Foreign Affairs Minister, Rimbink Pato, Labor and Industrial Relations Minister, Benjamin Poponawa, Works Minister Francis Awesa, and Mul-Biyer Member, Koi Trappe.
This equipment’s are part of the 48 pieces of equipment given to PNG government, as a gift from the Japanese government. This is part of the Japanese International Corporation Agency or JICA, a funding of K30 million.
Works Secretary David Wereh, said the Works Department is revisiting the Plant and Transport Branch that has been abolished since 1995. This was backed by Minister Awesa in his address, saying the government will go back to fixing rural roads.
Minister Awesa said road maintenance deference, will cost the government K3 billion and over 30 thousand kilometres of road to be fixed.
He said the government through his ministry, has agreed to work with donor agencies, to priorities road maintenance in 2015.
Western Highlands, West New Britain, East Sepik and Morobe provinces, are the first 4 to have their PTB division revived, followed by other provinces.
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