MP subsidises airfares for locals

The Mission Aviation Fellowship was recently boosted with K250,000.

Jimi MP, Wake Goi, presented a cheque to MAF during the weekend in Mt Hagen.

It was the part payment of a K2 million commitment to subsidise airfares for the people of Jimi within a four-year period.

The implementation of the scheme commences on the first week of November and a review would take place after three months’ time.

Goi, when presenting the cheque, said the scheme is not restricted to Jimi people. Others who travel to Jimi by MAF crafts can also access it. It is only for those who are travelling to Kol, Ambuluwa, Koninambe and Sendiap airstrips within Jimi only.

Furthermore, medical emergency cases would be fully covered by the scheme while other special arrangement travels would only go through him.

The part payment of the scheme is from the K2 million DSIP funds from the National Government, revealed Goi.

The cheque was given to the company’s administration manager, Eric Eribieng, at the MAF’s Kagamuga hangar on Sunday.

Meantime, on behalf of the MAF PNG, Eribieng and Godfrey Sim, the church, community and government partnership manager, thanked the MP for his initiative.

They described it as a first-of-its-kind after 65 years of service in PNG.

The MAF website states: “In 66 years of operation in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has served hundreds of communities which are isolated by mountains, jungle, rivers and swamps.

“Strategically located bases in Rumginae, Wewak, Goroka, Madang and Telefomin are connected by a network of flying routes to MAF’s headquarters in Mt Hagen.”

(Famine relief flights reach remote villages in Papua New Guinea – Picture: MAF UK)

Author: 
Julianna Waeda