FIRST JCC (JOINT COORDINATION COMMITTEE) MEETING FOR THE CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ROAD MAINTENANCE (CDRM) PHASE 2

The rural population in Papua New Guinea will see some improvement on their rural roads after the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) announcement of the continued efforts to implement the CDRM Phase 2 to strengthen and building capacity of Department of Works at the sub-national road network level for four provinces in the country. 

Department of Works to support the JICA CDRM Phase 2 program implementation in the first four provinces, WNB, WHP, ESP and Morobe that were initially under the CDRM Phase 1 Program from 2013- 2017. 

Currently all the donated machinery for Morobe is deployed under the Connect PNG program station in Menyamya District, in Lae Morobe Province to connect the Northern Region into the Southern Region under the Trans Islands Highway an overall Government of PNG Economic Corridor Development Concept to be implemented under the Connect PNG Policy initiative.  

However, under the CDRM Phase 2 program, the provinces are Madang, East New Britain Province, Western Province and West Sepik province which brings the total to 4 provinces respectively into the CDRM Phase 2. Project for CDRM Phase 2 was well represented by JICA for Department of Works in the first Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting that was held at DoW Headquarters on 28th of September 2021. 

The Department Secretary keynote address acknowledged the Japanese Government’s continuous and generous assistance to Papua New Guinea over the many years and make mentioned of the CDRM Phase 1 success and the Department’s gratitude to the JICA and JICS for the outcome of CDRM1 which have greatly impacted the lives of the rural communities of the participating provinces. 

The Secretary keynote reiterated that Department of Works is adamant that this Joint Project Capacity Development on Road Maintenance Phase 2 will be a successful relationship with JICA following a successful completion of the CDRM Phase 1 which saw the implementation of the projects in Kimbe, Mt Hagen, Wewak and Morobe province respectively since 2013. 

The National Road Transport Strategy, the National Road Network Strategy (NRNS), the Connect PNG Policy 2020-2040 and JICA CDRM project phase 1-2 in 4-8 provinces is supplementing the 21,000kms of sub-national road network. The provincial and district roads improvement for accessibility to the rural population, to access the market and the successful delivery of government goods and services to the remote parts of PNG.   I

n 2013, under the CDRM Phase 1 program, forty-eight (48) road construction equipment were donated by JICA grant aid under this program and piloted in West New Britain, Morobe, Western Highlands, and East Sepik Province. 

In 2016 the second donation of 15 additional road construction equipment were given through the Phase 1 of the project.

For the CDRM phase 2 which will span from 2021-2022, eighteen (18) additional equipment will be donated whilst an additional of three-four provinces will be coming on board and they are Madang and East New Britain and Western Province respectively, including West Sepik. 

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of DOW staff to maintain and manage unpaved roads by conducting activities to improve the capacity of DoW staff considering to utilize the trainers in the four target provinces.

The original plan by Phase 2, they agreed to transfer technology to improve the maintenance and management of unpaved roads in four new provinces (Madang, West Sepik, Western Province, East New Britain and West Sepik) from April 2021. However, the banned for foreigners to enter to PNG and severe quarantine rules required several times of rescheduling for experts entering to PNG. 

Anyhow, the experts and DoW conduct the first Joint Coordination Committee and discussing personnel, equipment and budgeting issues and agreed on the 28th September 2021. And DoW agreed that 1 million PGK will be allocated for pilot projects on new target provinces means 250,000 PGK for each until April 2022.