A new police barracks will be built along the Ramu Highway in Gusap, to accommodate the Northern Command’s Mobile Squad Units, who are currently based in Lae, Bulolo and Goroka.
Police Commissioner Gary Baki said this will allow the units to be based in this central and strategic location.
“I’ll remove the squad from Bulolo, Lae and Goroka and they will all be based together in a central location so they can deploy as, and when it is dictated by our operational requirements”.
Mr. Baki said building the new barracks for the mobile squad is also part of addressing the issues of housing faced by Police officers.
“Once we have done that, it will free up a lot of accommodation in the existing barracks where we can put general duty police.”
The project is being funded by the New Britain Palm Oil’s Ramu-Agri Industries, through the tax credit scheme, and will cost K5 million.
NBPOL’s Ramu Agri’s General Manager, Ruari Macwilliam said the company will be supporting the project by using their own staff for the construction of the housing and the infrastructure on site.
The infrastructure that will be constructed will include 13 low-set three bedroom houses, one high set three-bedroom house, two 15-men barracks, an office complex and a classroom.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday and the project is expected to be completed by August next year.
Mr. Baki has requested that two to three of the structures be completed earlier, to allow trainings for the 2018 APEC meeting to be conducted in the barracks.
