Minister for Higher Education Research Science and Technology (DHERST) Francis Marus has officially open three new staff houses for PNG Maritime College in Madang on Friday.
Marus was accompanied by Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Malakai Tabar, Secretary for Higher Education Research Science and Technology Professor David Kavanamur, Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure Roy Mumu, Madang Provincial Administrator Daniel Aloi and other dignitaries.
Marus said the government will continue to support the infrastructure rehabilitation and recapitalization, public investment of all higher education in the country because over the past decade the country has experienced unprecedented economic growth driven by mining and economically boom.
“The higher and technical education has play a significant role in growth and development of human resource gender, youths and people empowerment,”
“Not all Papua New Guinean’s have excess to quality tertiary education in existing higher education institution. There are evidence of gender, ethnic group, and locality representation disparities, the expansion of basic education has direct impact on higher education sector, the reforms undertaken will continue to see in the future size able increase in the number of grade twelve year in year out,” Marus said.
He said the investment and the development of infrastructure in Maritime College is the step in the right direction to begin addressing the issue accessibility, quality and equality.
Marus said the National Government has been focusing on Universities and other colleges and have not invested in Maritime College simply because it came in between the tertiary Education and secondary education.
However, he said this will be the thing of the past with government intervention today and onwards which will see Maritime College receiving government support.
Marus said the government through the DHERST has come on board and support Maritime college with K3million of which K1million was used to build and construct three new staff houses.
He thanked the support of Department of Planning and Monitoring, Department of Transport and Infrastructure, Department of Treasury and Madang Provincial Government for them to see these projects come out successful and their continuous support to PNG Maritime college.
He added that K2million of grant is held in trust account to be used for other projects identified by the College in the near future.
Marus also thanked the College Principle Captain Dabung Kiong, staff of the college for their tireless effort and the Contractor (Hans Construction Limited) for the job well done.