Photo Credit: PNGI Central
According to Madang Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Kevin Murray, the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) project in Madang would increase the province's fisheries industry.
Despite the lack of certainty about the project, Murray claimed that residents in the Madang area support it because it will create employment.
“A number of canneries will be developed apart from RD Tuna which is the main one in the province today,” he said.
Acting managing director Justin Ilakini of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) said the NFA was now going back to the drawing board to ensure that the project was completed appropriately, with the government authorising K100 million for it in this year's budget. He said plans were in the works to form a project steering committee made up of officers from several agencies, with the National Planning and Monitoring Department and the NFA co-chairing the project team.
“Government transferred the PMIZ project to the NFA,” Murray said.
“In the last budget, they approved K100 million for the project.
“We have, more or less, go back to the drawing board to make sure that everything is done properly.
“What we are doing now is to make sure that every study that needs to be done is done.”
Ilakini said the NFA would ensure that there were development partners on hand to help develop the project.
“It’s a really big project and the Government feels strongly that it’s a good project that will create more than 30,000 jobs.
“It will provide the opportunity for investors to come and set up may be more than 10 tuna processing plants and other spinoff benefits for the local people.”
According to Ilakini, the government has already purchased the property for the project.
Reference: The National (19 May 2022). “PMIZ project will boost fisheries in Madang, says official”.
