Richard Maru

The elaborate and well-organised event saw the Minister of Finance and Rural Development unveil the signage of the new complex as well as make a further K1 million commitment to the institution.  

The commissioning of the new Tiduk Haus Administration complex marks the launch of a new era for the college that currently enrolls over 600 students.

Proud principal Graham Bidang said the technical college will no longer be a small institution tucked away in the corner of a lagoon in Madang, but will rise up to be a centre of excellence in education and skills training.

The mobile squad barracks project was stalled last year due to the unavailability of manpower.

Yangoru-Saussia MP and National Planning Minister, Richard Maru, said: “We are hoping that it will be completed by the end of this year. We are planning for 45 men and women to be in the mobile barracks.

“This is important; the policemen and women who will be based there will obviously provide security for the border, to compliment the work that the PNGDF are doing. They will secure East and West Sepik and of course the economic zone as well.”

Minister Maru met the ACP Secretary General, Dr. Patrick Gomes, at the margins of the ACP EU Ministerial Meeting in N'Djamena, Capital of the Republic of Chad, Central Africa, on 3 April where they discussed, among other things, Papua New Guinea's role in the current ACP-EU Post Cotonou negotiations.

Minister for National Planning, Richard Maru, said this during a meeting with the Director of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Professor Hrushikesh Senpaty, and his administration in New Delhi on March 26^th.

Minister for National Planning, Richard Maru, said this during a recent visit to Madang to see the progress of the work being carried out on the Baiyer-Madang road link by the PNG Defence Force Engineering Battalion.

Also with him was the Minister for Defence, Solan Mirisim.

“The Baiyer to Madang National Highway Road Link is a critical missing link with huge economic potential,” stated Maru. “The Government is therefore focused on ensuring that this road project gets the funding support it needs to be completed before the end of this year.”

He made the comments in Lae last week following the commissioning of the newly installed laboratory equipment for the National Analytical and Testing Service Laboratory (NATSL) at the PNG University of Technology (UNITECH).

“The current building is not suitable. This country needs a world-class laboratory. One that is purpose-built and well laid out. We need the system, we need the training and we need maintenance. We must always have cutting edge technology,” Minister Maru said.

Together with the Minister for Defence, Solan Mirisim, both leaders were at Aiome on March 14^th to see the progress of the work being carried out on the Baiyer-Madang road link.

They saw first-hand the urgent need for change in the area, starting with the vital road link that will open up the area for vital services and economic activity.

Minister Richard Maru met with Neven Mimica February 25^th on the margins of the high level political dialogue of the Pacific ACP and the European Union.

The purpose of the bilateral discussions was basically to take forward critical matters that need to progress in the cooperation that the European Union has with PNG, including other areas of the relations that can be advanced and strengthened.

Discussions centered on the following key areas:

The purpose of the meeting is to engage with the EU on further discussions and dialogue in the lead up to finalising a new Agreement between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, or ACP Countries.

The Dialogue is convened as part of the process of political consultations between the different ACP regions and the EU on the negotiations for a Post-Cotonou Treaty in line with the processes endorsed to by ACP Group and EU at the launching of the negotiations in November 2018.

Minister Maru has formally written to the Minister for Health & HIV/AIDS, Sir Puka Temu, requesting the National Department of Health to immediately complete a four-year plan for launching and implementing from 31^st March 2019 in addition to the ongoing public immunisation work, which has progressed very well to date.

He said this was essential to meet the national target of achieving an 80 percent immunisation coverage by December 2022. Currently, the national coverage is at 40 percent from 2018 as the base-year.