Richard Maru

Councilor Willie Malubun, from Busken Village, made a plea to Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, Richard Maru, during the Minister’s recent trip to Madang.

Malubu informed Maru that while funds had been allocated for the project, only a sawmill was bought.

Minister Maru said over the last five years, funds had been disbursed to all Members of Parliament for such projects.

And he failed to understand why such a project was implemented.

National Planning and Monitoring Minister, Richard Maru, said this yesterday when addressing locals at the site of the collapsed bridge.

The Banab Bridge collapsed 10 weeks ago, affecting locals from Bogia to Sumkar, even as far as West Sepik, from travelling to Madang Town.

The Banab Bridge has been down for more than two months, not only affecting travellers’ access but also economic activity in the area.

Yesterday, Minister Maru visited the site of the collapsed bridge and personally advised locals on the amount of money needed to construct a new bridge.

Minister for National Planning and Monitoring and Yangoru-Saussia MP, Richard Maru, says cabinet has approved the shareholding structure, which gives 5 percent to locals.

Minister Maru said the equity structure approval paves the way for the chicken, grain and cocoa proposed projects to go ahead.

The Government is partnering with Israeli firm, LR Group, to implement the project.

Maru said the land is state owned but the Government has given a percentage to the locals to be active participants of the project.

The first ever locally produced milk product by Innovative Agro Industry will be available in Port Moresby stores on February 6th.

Samples of the product were presented yesterday to the Minster for National Planning and Monitoring, Richard Maru, who also first tasted the product.

The product is the final outcome of what has taken less than a year to establish.

Chairman and executive director of Innovative Agro Industry, Ilan Weiss, said the product is 100 percent PNG made.

Minister Maru said the delay in processing visa applications is a hindrance to trade and investment.

He said during his visit to India in December 2017, he was advised by individuals from various sectors about the delay in approving visas to PNG, which sometimes took months.

Minister Maru said countries around the world, even our nearest neighbours, have reformed their visa requirements and processes, making it much easier for persons from other countries to travel.

A single-man Supreme Court bench dismissed the application by Waranaka, who sought leave to review an interlocutory decision and exercise of discretion of the National Court to allow the affidavits and competency applications of Maru and the Electoral Commission to go through.

The election petition before Justice Collin Makail is ready to go for trial in Wewak starting August 2018 and ending in September.

However, Waranaka filed an application to dismiss the affidavits and objections to competencies as being filed within time but served out of time.

The WaSH Authority aims to oversee the implementation of the WaSH Policy passed by the Government in 2017.

The submission was made by Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, Richard Maru.

In an interview with Loop PNG, Minister Maru said the approval of the submission was great news as the authority can now fully implement a nationwide program for clean water and sanitation services.

He said currently just over 30 percent of the population have access to safe, clean drinking water.

National Planning and Monitoring Minister, Richard Maru, is now calling on one district from each of the four regions that is interested in participating in the rollout to step out.

Maru has put forward his district of Yangoru-Saussia as the pilot site for Momase Region.

Minister Maru said the pilot projects aim to trial techniques and technologies that can be used around the country.

Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, Richard Maru, today presented to his counterpart and Minister for Lands, Justin Tkatchenko, certificates and NID cards for his staff.

Maru said Tkatchenko was the first Minister on record to have all staff issued NID cards.

In a media conference today, Minister Maru commended Tkatchenko for taking the lead in ensuring the Lands Department staff all had NID cards.

He also called on other ministers and departments to follow this example.

This was one of the take backs from Minister for Planning, Monitoring and Implementation, Richard Maru’s trip to India late last month.

He said the country can learn from the Indira Gandhi National Open University, which will allow for more Grade 12 school leavers to obtain higher education learning.

“They have six million students who don’t go to a campus to go to school. They are doing degrees and masters programs and PhDs from their homes,” said Maru.