The main aim of the Buka Town Authority now is to transform Buka town into a tourism hub where tourists can have a real taste and experience at the gateway into Bougainville.
In an exclusive interview with Loop PNG the Buka town manager Eddie Kenai said it is one of his main objectives.
“This is the gate way into the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and it must be attractive, beautiful and most importantly clean,” Kenai said.
“We have already got a tourism development Programme in place and our focus is to make Buka the tourism hub for the whole of Bougainville, and also our other focus is to make sure our tourism infrastructures are in place guest houses and so on,” he said.
“But as the council the mandated authority, we have to make sure there is water running, the boat stops are properly built, public toilets amusement parks, and public toilets. .. even the attitude of the people need to change,” Kenai said.
He said the tourism development plan will run for five years and their main objective is to see Buka town a tourist hub in the next two years or so.
“This is the Port of call this is the gateway, when they come in here they see the whole of Bougainville and also the seat of Government is here,” Kenai said.
“As the town Manager it is a big responsibility for me to transform Buka town to be a tourist and not just a town for people to come do shopping and go back home,” he said.
“In the tourism development plan there are also certain projects that will be under pinned in the plan,” Kenai said.
“First of all is the market upgrade when tourists come they want to buy artefacts as souvenirs so there will be a proper crafts market and the food being sold,” he said
He added that this in itself portrays and speaks of Bougainville,” Kenai said.
Picture: Arial view of Buka town.