Touring Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister and MP for Central Makira, Nestor Ghiro, has assured the Makira Ulawa Provincial Government and its people that the National Government is committed to develop their projects.
He made the assurance while speaking to the people of Ward 9 in West Bauro at Manita Village on Boxing Day – December 26, 2021.
He said the six provincial projects are the Kira Kira Wharf (in tender stage); the Ngorangora Airport (Tar sealing in progress); the Rawo Bridge (Feasibility Studies next year); the Rawo to Wango Emergency Road Upgrade (completed); Warihito to Marou Bay (Assessment and costing done, awaiting tender in the New Year); the Kira Kira Cocoa Factory (procurement in the New Year); and 18 Communications Towers (5 for West Makira, (6 for Central Makira), (5 for East Makira) and two for Ulawa.
Assessments for all the towers have been completed towards the end of 2021.
Ghiro said because of economic losses to the Government caused by Covid-19 and the Honiara riots, implementation of the projects will be slowed but “I can assure you that the government will try its very best to ensure they are not withdrawn from the list of priority projects”.
He said work on the projects will start this year and “my Central Makira Constituency with a population of between 16 and 18-thousand people will greatly benefit from some of the projects”.
“They have already been provided with road transport and other services which are expensive to maintain, but at least cocoa farmers and copra producers are able to carry their products to Kira Kira for shipment to Honiara; and garden food, vegetable and fruit producers use the same road transport to travel to KiraKira to sell their produce at the market”.
Meanwhile, he said landowners and community leaders must allow their lands earmarked for the projects to be developed because land disputes in Makira hinder development. – By George Atkin in Kirakira
