In the remote and rugged terrain of the Western Province, with some of the world’s highest rainfalls, building roads for the community is an immense challenge.

An example of a major project undertaken by PNGSDP is the Kiunga to Kokonda road project. It is one of two major road projects in the Western Province undertaken by PNGSDP.

It is also the first road construction project that incorporates the contractor construction capacity program, with local contractors as part and parcel of a whole-of-life asset management.

The construction of the Kiunga to Kokonda road is having a positive impact on the local communities along the road corridor as well as travelling public to and from Kokonda. The road is fully accessible to Kokonda from Kiunga and has cut down the travelling time to 30 minutes.

School children from Kokonda and the other nearby villages are now able to get to school in the mornings and return home the same day and this was not possible before construction started.

There is an obvious increase in traffic on the road both for recreation purposes and also some commercial activities as well.

A cattle project funded by PNGSDP has been established along the road.  Community saw mill businesses are quite obvious along the and rubber plantation extension work is taking place. Subsistence farming by villagers and town people alike is also growing along the road.

PNGSDP opened its Kiunga regional office in 2007, to cater for the needs of the entire province. We see the presence of this new facility as a means whereby PNGSDP will be able to better service the growing need for the people ofWestern Province to be in direct contact with us.