DOWH PARTNER WITH JICS TO DEVELOP RURAL ROADS IN PNG

Depart of Works and Highways development partner Japanese International Corporation Systems (JICS) Capacity Development for Road Maintenance (CDRM) phase 2 has now implemented this program rollout in four (4) provinces in Papua New Guinea.

These provinces are Madang, East New Britain, West Sepik and Western Province. The CDRM 2 program complement the DoWH rural roads program implementation by the Plant and Transport Division (PTD) and also capacity building in the terms of skills and human resource development.

Officiating on behalf of Secretary, was Executive Director Network Planning & Design Standards Mr. Gibson Holemba in his opening remarks remind the participants that these programs arrangements derives from a bilateral relationship between the Government of Papua New Guinea and Japan.

Mr Holemba said that the key issue here is to highlight the alignment of work plans from the JICS and DoWH with the PNG Government Connect PNG program to see what gaps can be filled by both parties to achieve the outcome that is in the mutual interest of the two governments and institutions that are involved.

Also present in the meeting the provincial works mangers of the four provinces who had their turns to make presentation on the CDRM 2 progressive updates in conjunction with their provincial offices. Representatives from JICS were also present to highlight some challenges, experiences and way forward to work in partnership with the four provinces that the CDRM2 program implementation rollout.

According to Mr Holemba, DoWH has make a K8 million submission to National Planning and Monitoring Department as counterpart funding to implement the CDRM2 program and compliment JICS who have a committed number of construction machineries like graders, rollers, dump trucks, excavators and other civil construction equipment to assist DoWH in the CDRM 2 implementation rollout.