Rebranding launch of the Department of Works and Highways

“100% Road Connectivity for PNG by 2040”

Implementing the Connect PNG 20 – Year Economic Infrastructure Development Plan is Imperative to sustainable Socio-Economic Growth of PNG.

The Government’s key decision to achieve the Connect PNG Program saw the reconfigured Department of Works & Highways rebranding launched on Thursday 10th March 2022 by Prime Minister Hon. James Marape to align the organization reporting structure for the new reforms in the road sector to be efficient and better serve the people and road users of Papua New Guinea.

The new look Department of Works & Highways will be now more focused on the 16 national priority highways that make up 8,000kms of the national road network. The government expectations is very high and Connect PNG maps out the pathway to transform PNG’s key economic lifeline highways for agriculture, tourism and other major industries.

Legislative change was a key enabler to drive this hybrid government ambitious plan to Connect PNG. This saw the repeal of the National Roads Authority (NRA) Act and replace with the Road (Management & Fund) Act 2020. This legislation will secure road maintenance funding from user chargers and fees in order to maintain and sustain on long term basis the road works delivered under the Connect PNG Plan.

Under the Road (Management & Fund) Act 2020, each provincial government and district development authority will be designated a road authority with specific legislative obligations to maintain their own network of sub-national roads which make up 21,000kms of the PNG road network. Sub-national roads will receive increased funding through Department of National Planning and technical supported will be provided by DoWH.

The new legislation Connect PNG (Funding & Implementation Arrangements) Act 2021 provides a minimum funding commitment of 5.6% of the Annual National Government Budget up to 2040 for Connect PNG, up to a maximum of K20 billion. Establishment of the PNG Highway Corporation as the implementing vehicle for Connect PNG Plan. This company will manage and implement the Connect PNG plan applying contemporary best business practice in the road sector.

Connect PNG is carefully developed and aligned with key development programs in the agriculture, mining, and tourism sectors and public utilities in the region. Connect PNG will be implemented in three phases, that progressively open up the country. Approximately K1billion per year to rehabilitate, reconstruct deteriorated sections of existing highways and construct missing link roads.

The first phase is the medium term 2020 – 2027 – the government wants to connect Momase and Highlands Region with Port Moresby in the Southern Region by 2025, coinciding with the 50th Independence anniversary of PNG. Eighty-Five percent of the population still lives in rural areas and therefore the Connect PNG program will unbundle their untapped potential in business activities and opportunities to get much better government services like health, education, and law and order issues.

Legacy issues of underinvestment and mismanagement of maintenance funds over the years has accumulated a road maintenance backlog bill of K45 billion. This resulted in socio-economic benefits lost over time due to the lack of proper roads access. Some of the effects are agriculture productivity remains at subsistent levels, poor education, poor health care, rise in cost of doing business, lack of access to goods and services and lost of economic productivity and opportunity.

However, the Connect PNG plan strategic outcome is to support economic growth, maintain and improve 70% of the economic road transport network to sustainable and disaster resilient quality by 2025 with all road investment projects generating K4.50 in long term economic benefits for every K1 invested. Road safety is also a priority that will collaborative partnership with our donors, Road Transport Authority and Police.