From left: Director Robin Pitili, Chairman Christian Tarkap, Senior Provincial Magistrate Her Worship Patricia Tivese, Director Pius Freeman, and Governor Byron Chan. Supplied picture.
The newly appointed New Ireland Development Corporation (NIDC) Board was officially sworn in by Senior Provincial Magistrate Patricia Tivese and witnessed by Governor Byron Chan in Kavieng earlier this week.
According to a statement from NIDC, the board comprises of:
- Christian Tarkap – Chairman
- Robin Pitili – Director
- Pius Freeman – Director
- Richard Andia – Provincial Administrator/Director
The swearing-in ceremony follows the Provincial Executive Council’s decision on 15 March 2026 to terminate the previous board and transfer all assets and responsibilities to the new management.
Chairman Christian Tarkap expressed gratitude to the Provincial Executive Council for its trust in the board, saying they are committed to delivering investment opportunities for the people of New Ireland while stimulating economic growth and generating revenue for the province.
The board did not waste time and held its first official meeting immediately after the swearing-in ceremony, endorsing a Technical Project Working Committee comprising five members with backgrounds in agriculture and fisheries, including technical advisors from the Kokonas Indastri Koporesen (KIK) and the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC).
The technical team is tasked with planning and implementing NIDC projects targeting agriculture and fisheries farmers from Kavieng and Namatanai across all 10 LLGs.
The chairman also reaffirmed NIDC’s commitment to advancing key economic development projects with partners, including the Malagan Five-Star Internal Hotel, Arrow Trading three-storey retail and supermarket complex, Section 5 Shopping Mall, and a joint-venture fishing project all of which have the endorsement of the Provincial Executive Council under the late Sir Julius Chan’s government.
