The government has requested a loan extension for two World Bank projects in the Gulf and Madang provinces to maintain and rehabilitate roads.
The extension will allow procurement and construction on the Bogia-Awar section of the Coastal Highway and the Epo-Kerema section of the Hiritano Highway to be completed by April 28, 2023.
“These projects are part of a long-standing Government-World Bank commitment to improving transport infrastructure,” Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey said.
According to Ling-Stuckey, the road maintenance and rehabilitation project has played a pivotal role in upgrading Papua New Guinea's primary road network, and it is now being put back on track.
Both the government and the World Bank had been aware for some time that these two key projects would not be completed by the loan closing date of April 30 this year.
“Therefore we have sought this extension to allow for the awarding of contracts by the end of April, and for works to start by the end of May,” Ling-Stuckey outlined. “The new schedule we have set is very tight, but we believe it can be met. Transport infrastructure is one of the keys to the Marape-Basil’s agenda for economic and social development, especially in rural areas. These two projects will make a big difference to the income-earning capacity of the people of Gulf, Madang and surrounding provinces.”
