K500m to upgrade Jackson Airport: Polye

THE next five years will see an upgrading of the Jackson Airport at a cost of K500 million.Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye, who is also Minister for Works and Transport, said certain sections of the community had criticised the decision to upgrade the airport, describing it as wasteful.He said they must realise that the airport was the gateway to the country.“We cannot really talk about realising the full potential of tourism when the gateway to this country is substandard,” he told the Moss Capital (Pacific) PNG international conference on Monday.He said certain infrastructure and their proper maintenance were needed to enable development to take place.“Various programmes are currently underway to ensure that plans and projects in land reforms, land and maritime transport infrastructure are achieved.”He also gave an assurance that the National Airports Corporation would focus on improving the cash flow from commercial investments to ensure that the airport was profitable.Polye thanked the organisers of the conference which, he said, would further strengthen ties between the two countries.“As a government, we always welcome unlimited foreign investment into the country to capture the opportunities created by the LNG and other similar projects.“We are committed to maximising local content in all foreign investment, industry growth and entrepreneurial activities.“Ultimately, it is the intention of the Somare-Polye government to ensure that opportunities for wealth creation must be accessible to all Papua New Guineans,” he said.He said that as envisaged in Vision 2050, economic growth and wealth creation would come through agriculture, down streaming processing, enhanced manufacturing activities, infrastructure development and sustained delivery of goods and services.