APRIL 1, 2023
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says the Pangu Pati-led Government he leads will partner provincial governments, districts, local governments and other stakeholders in moving the country.
He said this on Friday, March 31, 2023, addressing a massive crowd of thousands of people at remote Menyamya Station, Morobe, when launching the Menyamya Five-Year Development Plan (2023-2027) as well as other projects.
PM Marape gave K5 million to Menyamya for road development and an additional K3 million to start progressing the plan.
People from all four Local Level Governments in this rugged and mountainous area of Papua New Guinea converged on Menyamya Station to witness this momentous occasion.
PM Marape was accompanied by Finance and Planning Minister Hon. Rainbo Paita, Education Minister Hon. Jimmy Uguro, Community Development Minister Hon. Jason Peter, Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Hon. Muguwa Dilu, Chuave MP Hon. James Nomane, Obura-Wonenara MP Hon. John Boito, Morobe Governor Hon. Luther Wenge, Bulolo MP Hon. Sam Basil Jr, Wau-Waria MP Hon. Marsh Narewec, and host Menyamya MP Hon. Solen Loifa.
“Your plan must be in line with the plan of the Morobe Provincial Government,” PM Marape told the Menyamya people.
“The plan of the Morobe Provincial Government, in turn, must be in line with the National Vision and focus of the country.”
PM Marape said the five main focuses of his Government were growing the economy, better enabling infrastructure, better education, better health services, and better law-and-order.
He clarified that the National Government would take charge of road links to other provinces like Menyamya-Marawaka (Eastern Highlands) and Menyamya-Kaintiba (Gulf) while internal road links like 40-Mile-Menyamya would be the responsibility of Morobe Provincial Government. PM Marape said roads within Menyamya would be the task of the district.
PM Marape reiterated MP Loifa’s words that there must be no politics when it came to development – especially of roads – in a rural area like Menyamya.
“I want to assure the people of Menyamya that you are no longer in a ‘last place’,” he told the people.
“There is no such thing as a ‘first place’ and a ‘last place’ in our country. God made us all the same.
“Pangu Pati is here to make sure that the country gets back on the right road – the road where no one of left behind.”
PM Marape told the Menyamya people that the National Monitoring Authority would ensure that there was no wastage of their district funds, K20 million a year, for the next five years.
He said social media critics of increased funding to districts should visit rural areas like Menyamya to see the difficulties faced by the people.
“Eighty (80) per cent of our people are still locked up in rural enclaves of the country like Menyamya,” he said.
“I want to encourage the people of Menyamya, Morobe and PNG not to listen to all the lies and deceit of people who live in Port Moresby and are out of touch with the reality on the ground.”
PM Marape urged the people of Menyamya not to cause law-and-order problems and go into coffee – their main income earner – and agriculture.
He overnighted in Menyamya on Friday, and attended church service there on Saturday, before returning to Port Moresby by helicopter over the route of the Trans-Island Highway linking Menyamya to Gulf and eventually Port Moresby.
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