Trade, Commerce and Industry Secretary John Andrias says Yangoru Saussia District was chosen by the National Government to pilot the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) project because it has the biggest available State land area in the country.
“It happens to be the only district in PNG with over 18,000 hectares of State land (Urimo 13,000 and Kanawi 5,000 hectares),” Andrias said.
He also bruised aside statement that the district was chosen because the local MP Richard Maru is the Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry.
Andrias added that the total area of the grassland estimated to be more than 400,000 hectares adjoins the districts of Wewak, Angoram, Ambunti Drekiker, Wosara Gawi, Maprik and Telefomin in West Sepik.
From the K100 million approved by the Government in 2013, only K56 million have been released and used to build infrastructures.
“No investor will make an investment decision to invest in the Sepik Special Economic Zone if there are no access roads/bridges, if there is no reliable power supply, if there is no reliable water supply, if there is no police presence to maintain law and order, if there are no schools, health centres and rural hospitals, if there are no banking and commercial facilities, if there is no pool of unskilled and semi- skilled workers and the list goes on,” Andrias said.
Last week saw the launching of the Sepik Chicken, Grain and Cocoa project which is the first project for the Sepik Special Economic Zone.
Picture: Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his ministers doing the ground breaking in Yangoru Station last week to show the start of the Sepik Special Economic Zone.