​Minister wants PMIZ local content

“The PMIZ is a very crucial government intervention for economy growth; it will be developed with a world class wharf with enabling infrastructure that will bring enormous spin off benefits to the peripheries of the PMIZ affected communities,” says the Minister.

“As the Minister responsible for the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ), I have made several trips to the area and communicated with the affected communities.

“My aim is to grow the Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) with more community participation, which will stimulate the local economy as well as that of PNG.”

The Minister says a forum to gauge general views of the participating communities and stakeholders will be initiated to define a local content in the PMIZ Project.

“I believe for most, local content of water and sanitation, energy, infrastructure and socioeconomic development programs are subtle concerns raised by the NGOs that require optimal attention in a local content.

“Though the land where PMIZ will be situated is a state land, the Madang Provincial Government, Amanob LLG, Madang and Sumkar districts and the impacted communities within the peripheries of the PMIZ will be captured to ensure equal benefits are commensurate with equal participation.”

The significance of the PMIZ project:

• This project will be developed on 215 hectares of land. It is understood, 100 hectares will host canneries and 115 hectares for residential and commercial purposes;
• Project will generate 30,000 jobs. Once fully developed, PMIZ will house 10 tuna processing plants to process tuna caught in PNG waters and the Pacific;
• Fish caught in the international waters of neighbouring Pacific Island Nations will also be processed at PMIZ; this means,
• The PNG PMIZ will have major economic impact on the Pacific beside Papua New Guinea.

“The initial Financial Investment Decision (FID) by the EXIM Bank of China was stalled by the lengthy court battle with Madang Environmental NGOs, resulting in the withholding of the money for initial development of the PMIZ,” says Minister Mori.

“However, under Richard Maru, the PMIZ was redesigned to cater for all the communities and to hall larger ships into the new wharf.

“The project was delayed for this very reason of redesigning and renegotiation of the FID with the EXIM Bank of China.”

The China EXIM Bank has agreed to fund the new plan with a US$152 Million (K350 million), says the Minister. The loan is concessional and can be repaid when PMIZ is in operation and making returns.

“Therefore, my initial interaction with the affected communities recently is based on my 30 years’ mining and extractive industry experiences in government interventions in socioeconomic developments, the investors and developers corporate social responsibility toward the affected area,” he says.

The affected communities and organisations will be the:

• Madang Provincial Government
• Madang district
• Sumkar district
• Ambenob LLG
• PMIZ impact area companies
• Affected communities living on the peripheries of Portion 625
• The contractor/developers after retender
• Owners of the heads of agreement (for water, energy, sanitation contractors and owners)

(Loop file pic)