Contractors of the Yangoru Mobile Squad Barracks have been urged to complete the project before the end of this year.
Member for Yangoru-Saussia and Minister for National Planning & Monitoring, Richard Maru, said this to contactors during a visit to the project site on Monday.
Minister Maru said law and order is a major problem and he wants police on the ground immediately to deal with the issue.
A site meeting was held yesterday between Minister Maru, contractors, and the Provincial Works Department in Yangoru to get an update on the housing project.
Currently the major setback of the project is the availability of manpower.
“We will increase our manpower, casuals and tradesmen so that we complete this project before next year,” said Pacific building industry project engineer, Alphonse Yano.
Minister Maru said funding has been released and he expects the contractor to ensure more trade people are hired to get the job done on time.
He said criminal activity was rife and he wanted the housing project, which will house a full Mobile Squad Unit, to be on schedule.
“This is a very important Government project under the Sepik Economic Zone. One of the first things we must do is ensure law and order in this province is well under control,” said Minister Maru.
“There are a lot of hold ups, especially the movement of the vanilla trade.”
The Minister added the mobile squad will also be on standby for callout to West Sepik Province and the border.
The Barracks will have 45 houses for both married and single mobile squad officers.
The project costs K20 million; K18 million for the project and K2 million for the feeder road into the barracks.