Photo credit: National Fisheries Authority
The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) has provided K5 million as a final transaction for the acquisition of property for a fisheries centre that was in the process of being liquidated.
The site at Rabaul, East New Britain Province, has been obtained for a fisheries centre, on which the NFA has begun construction in collaboration with the East New Britain Provincial Association.
In terms of the project's history, the property was sold to the highest bidder for K12 million, of which ENBPA paid K2 million, with the remaining K5 million coming from the Public Investment Program, which was supported by the Department of National Planning after NFA submitted a proposal.
The NFA paid the remaining K5 million in a modest check on Thursday, November 11th, but full work will not begin until land titles in liquidation are in order, and a representative from O'Brian Lawyers was there to accept the check.
According to John Kasu, NFA's Managing Director, this is one of the infrastructure projects the organization is working on around the nation as part of its 10-year strategic plan.
“This Rabaul Tuna Terminal is basically one of those important projects that we are embarking on and apart from that we have projects in Lae, we have the Voco Point and Wagang. Recently we have this PMIZ that has been brought back to NFA to implement,” he said.
Mr Kasu said Rabaul is an important transhipment port and there are four right across the country from Rabaul, Lae, Madang and Wewak. Adding that Rabaul has activities, that NFA is getting on board to strengthen and develop those areas and its infrastructures.
“The Tuna Terminal is about developing our facility where all these activities are taking place off-shore and transhipment. Some these activities can be brought onshore, and that piece of land provides a wharf where vessels can come in and to carry out transhipment provisioning.”
The NFA will continue to collaborate with the ENBPA, beginning with the creation of an MoU outlining what is required for future development on the bought land.
Upon receiving the award,, ENB Deputy Provincial Administrator, Nicholas Larme,, said: “This one has taken a long time for us to find traction going forward. Ownership of land is important for project development, and is the counterpart of the equity that provinces will have in relation to moving this project forward.”
Reference: Loop (12 November 2021). “NFA Secures Land For Project”.
