The Morobe Provincial Government doesn’t have the money to fix the Milfordhaven road, a road that is the primary access point to the main wharf.
Massive potholes the size of ponds have formed along the Milfordhaven road that’s accessed by Lae companies such as KK Kingston, Coca Cola and Trukai.
It’s not just the big businesses suffering, ordinary taxpayers driving along the road have demanded for it to be fixed.
“There has been no change to this road, it’s damaging our vehicles and the parts [are] expensive to replace, we are finding it difficult,” says Lae resident, Augustine Kumbukia.
Yesterday, Morobe Governor, Kelly Naru, called on the national government to allocate some of the K1.5 billion loan to fix the deteriorating road.
“We have PSIP (Provincial Support Improvement Program funding) owed to this province in the sum of K38 million, including the LLGSIP’s grants (Local Level Government Support Improvement program), it goes up to about K50 million.
“Milfordhaven road from the power station down to the wharf, that’s been on the board for a long time and it needs to be funded, so that we can have that piece of road sealed,” says Governor Naru.
It’s been nothing but embarrassing for the Lae District and Morobe Provincial Government, when in June Lae Chamber of Commerce President, Alan McLay, announced that Lae businesses would be funding a temporary fix.
It’s July 13 and it has been raining for the last five days in Lae, and the Milfordhaven road shows its true deteriorating state. Vehicles are travelling in and out of the crater like potholes filled with rainwater.
It’s understood that the Lae District Administration has also received less than half of its district funding from the national government, and the authority is also struggling with funding for programs.
