Approved in November 2019 after the Passing of the Special Economic Zone Authority Act, the Ihu Special Economic Zone (ISEZ) project valued at K8 billion is still in the early stages of development.
Member for Kikori and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Member, Soroi Eoe, in an interview with this newsroom today reemphasized the invaluable long-term benefits that would come through the development and established of the ISEZ project.
Minister Eoe said in December last year, two three-tonne vehicles worth K344, 000 were purchased to provide service along the road from Ihu to Kerema in the Gulf Province.
The Minister said in the coming weeks the vehicles will be transported to Kerema to start serving the people of the province, and this will signal the commencement of the development of the ISEZ project.
He stressed that the Government is continuously looking at other avenues for revenue generation in order to develop the country’s economy without always having to borrow and thus, is keen on pursuing the development of the Special Economic Zone in Ihu.
Meantime, the Kikori Open MP stated that the airport project in the Ihu rural local level government has not yet commenced service. The project launched in 2020, with PM Marape officially opening the airstrip after 17 years.
Minister Eoe explained that the project’s slow start was due to funds being allegedly hijacked by the Gulf Provincial Government. He said there was difficulty in retrieving the K100 million allocated by the government for this project.
“What has happened was the government has already agreed up to K100 million next five years for us to develop. The funds that were given last year were kind of hijacked and taken to Gulf Provincial Government…lots of difficulty in getting that money back until only four weeks ago we secured the money.”
Minister Eoe said now that the funds have been secured, the project will enter its second phase. The second phase will entail social impact assessments, land mobilization, landowner identification, environmental impact status assessment and other necessary requirements.