Prime Minister James Marape has handed over two cheques with a combined value of K7 million to the Manus Provincial Administration in Lorengau, Manus Province.
K5 million was set aside by the Department of Works to start construction of the planned road that will start in Lorengau and go all the way to the West Coast. K2 million was given by the Department of National Planning to start works on water supply projects in the Province, especially the outlying Islands.
Prime Minister Marape told the people present at the cheque presentation ceremony on October 5th that building the road from Lorengau to the West Coast will cost a lot of money, therefore it will be better to start building the road one kilometre at a time.
He challenged the people of Manus and the Provincial Administration to ensure the road is completed in his lifetime so when the country celebrates 50 years of Independence, he can drive from Lorengau to the West Coast.
The Prime Minister added that the Secretary for National Planning had brought another cheque of K2 million for water supply works to start across the islands in the Province.
PM Marape handed the cheques over to the Provincial Administrator and urged the people of Manus to work together with the Provincial Administration to ensure the projects start.
(Member for Manus and Parliament Speaker, Job Pomat, waiting to receive the PM in Manus)