North Fly MP, James Donald is planning to establish a partnership with Indonesia to create market access for his people.
He is planning to engage contractors from Indonesia to work on major roads and other infrastructure projects in the District.
Donald said this is one of his priorities under his first 100-Days Plan in Office.
He said, it is cheaper to bring in materials across the border from Indonesia than shipping them from Port Moresby to Kiunga or Tabubil in Western Province.
Donald said his decision to look further West is in line with the current economic situation the country is facing and the need to cut cost and work within the means of his district’s budget.
He added that the Government’s decision to cut costs in some of its expenditure items means remote districts like his, which is quite expensive to deliver services, given the high cost of freight involving logistics, out of Port Moresby, must come up with best available alternatives, which is to look no further than Indonesia which is just next door to North Fly District and Western Province as a whole.
The first term North Fly MP said arrangements are underway to engage formal meeting with the Indonesian Embassy in Port Moresby to advance discussions on the need for creation of free trade centre along the border between North Fly and Indonesian Province of West Papua.
He added that partnering with Indonesian Government will enable better and quality infrastructure built along the border that will not only encourage economic development and trade between communities from both sides of the PNG-Indonesia Border but also benefit PNG Defence Force soldiers operating out of Forward Operations Base in Kiunga, who do routine patrols along the border in Western Province.
Donald also believes that engaging contractors from Indonesia will see quality roads build in his district at a reasonable price compared to local PNG contractors who tend to charge exorbitant fees with little track record of completing project on time and on budget.
He said major contracts such as road infrastructures in the district will be given to Indonesian contractors under his term in Office because he wants to see quality roads built under reasonable price and on budget.