Maritime

The delegation currently in East New Britain is headed by Henry Baraka - Director PMU, Office of the Deputy Chief Secretary Operations Department of President & Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) and Horta Boskey - Strategic & Liaison Officer to the Chief Secretary, Department of President and BEC.

He said disasters like the MV Butiraoi sinking are waiting to happen, have happened before and are likely happen again.

At least 80 people are missing presumed dead after the ferry sank last month en route from the island of Nonouti to Tarawa.

Dr Nuttall said systemic issues have to be addressed including the lack of investment and more renewable energy funding earmarked for maritime transport.

He pointed out that maritime transport is a public good in the far flung islands of the Pacific.

Transport Minister Wesley Nukundj said this is because out of the country’s 22 provinces, 15 of those are maritime provinces that have seen little attention on sea transportation over the years. 

The ministry has had no consistency in terms of its leadership, seeing a total of five different ministers in the last term of government, and the minister sees this as a challenge in managing the three modes of transport.