ADB teams up with MP to upgrade road

 

Story Post Courier .

Anglimp South Wahgi MP Komun Joe Koim (right) with Asian Development Bank representative Ronaldo Chokuaiya (left) and a young lass dressed in Jiwaka costume at the ceremony in Minj last Friday

By Mal Taime

THE people of Manda in Anglimp South Wahgi electorate of Jiwaka Province will soon travel on a sealed road.

This will happen through a partnership between local MP Komun Joe Koim and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The launching of the 23km Minj/Tsigmil Road to Ganigle bordering Jiwaka and Simbu Province which will cost more than K40 million, was held at Minj district headquarters last Friday.

Mr Koim made available K5 million counterpart funding while the ADB provided K41 million.

The patrol grading for the road was done earlier when the MP used district funds to purchase an excavator for the electorate.

At the launching on Friday the ADB signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Anglimp South Wahgi district and the local leaders of Manda for the project to roll out.

After the ADB was satisfied with all documentations, the project will be put to tender for bidders to bid and followed by the mobilisation and the actual work.

The work on the road is expected to roll out early next year once all the necessary requirements are done properly, under the supervision of Jiwaka provincial Works division.

But ADB representative Ronaldo Chokuaiya assured the people that they would fast track everything to roll out the project because it is a service that the people need urgently.

Mr Chokuaiya said when he visited the area in 2011 the road was in a deteriorating state, but after the patrol grading it was in a much better condition.

He said there was a great difference in the condition of the road after the grading work.

“I’ve heard of the tag they have been tagged with as ‘backpage’, this name will be removed once the road is sealed,” Mr Chokuaiya said.

He said ADB was confident that all the stakeholders have agreed to co-operate to work together with them and this was a positive respond.

Mr Koim said Anglimp South Wahgi had set a benchmark for the rest of the country to follow.

He commended the people for not demanding any form of road compensation claim because it would hold back all the work.

He said the people were preparing to receive essential services and this was a very good sign for others to see and emulate.

Mr Koim said when he was elected into parliament he had built less than 100km of roads in the electorate with the use of district services improvement program (DSIP) funds.

“All funds are not my money, this is your money the Government allocated for such services and you must not ask me for money,” he said