Where He Is Coming From (Building Up From Ground-Zero)
It is no secret that there are
challenges in the district. Therefore, the Member for Kikori has been working
hard despite these challenges.
With deteriorated core service
delivery infrastructure over the years, it has been a difficult district to
work in. Administrative capacity on ground is weak including mismanagement of
funds by previous leaders and public servants.
Thus Hon. Soroi Eoe’s priority
therefore is to change both the physical outlook of the district as well as the
mindset of the people to meaningfully contribute to development initiatives of
the district in the years to come.
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| Above: Deteriorated staff housing at Orokolo Hospital |
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| Above: Deteriorated health center |
KIKORI 5 YEAR DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2018-2022
To ensure these basic services reach
the district the Member for Kikori with his team prepared and put together a
5-yearDistrict Development Plan 2018-2022. This 5-year development plan outlines a
strategic direction where he wishes to see Kikori District to take in the next
5 to 10 years. The Hon. Eoe’s vision is to ensure that the district is
socially, environmentally, politically and economically progressive by
investing into socio-economic infrastructure and
the human resource thus
enabling the citizens to be educated and health to be able to meaningful
participants in the development process whilst enjoying the benefits of
modernity and in the process bring the district to the next level of
development which is: “MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION”.
Kikori
District Vision is anchored on 6 key building blocks for development and
compliments Gulf Vision 2020 and PNG Vision 2050 and they are:
1.
Government Delivery
Mechanism
2.
Infrastructural
Development
3.
Integral Human Development
1.1.1.Health
Sector Development
1.1.2.
Education Sector
Development
4.
Social Development
5.
Economic and Industrial
Development
6.
Environmental Risk
Management
The first ever Kikori
District 5-year Development Plan 2018-2022 was launched on Friday the 6th of
September 2019 at the Laguna Hotel Poolside. This was a historic event for the
Kikori District as the district never had an official document in the past.
The guest of honour, Prime Minister, Hon. James
Marape officially launched the event with the host-Member for Kikori Open and
Minister for Foreign Affairs & International Trade giving his opening
remarks thanking staff and all that had contributed to completing the document.
Minister Eoe also thanked the people from the
Department of National Planning & Monitoring who assisted the team to align
the 5-year development plan to the existing national plans such as the MTDP 3
and so forth. He said “plans are very important as it has a cascading effect
from top to bottom….and is a framework in which it can guide development and
Kikori is the same. The last 15 to 30 years has seen unplanned development or
no development at all simply because we didn’t have plans to guide us so I’m
hopeful that this plan will enable us to move forward in terms of resource
allocations within this framework and systematically implement what is required
of us. Plans are only plans, and if we don’t take ownership it is a useless
document that collects dust in the office space of public servants.”
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| Above: 2019 - Prime Minister James Marape launches the Kikori District 5 Year Development Plan |
Minister Eoe, appealed to the public servants of
the district, the CEO of Kikori District Development Authority and his officers
of the 4 LLGs to take ownership of this plan and move and implement it.
The Kikori District 5-year Development Plan
2018-2022 was launched along with two other documents. They are further major
plans to develop Kikori District. He highlighted and thanked the Prime Minister
and the cabinet for approving the “Special Economic Zone concept which is
vital” and more so greatly supported by the Prime Minister himself making it
one of the priority projects of the national government.
This creates employment opportunities, expanding
economic base thus opening opportunities in areas where there aren’t any
services.
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| Above: 2019 - Hon. Charles Abel receives the Kikori 5 Year Development Plan 2018-2022 on behalf of the Planning Department from Member for Kikori Hon. Soroi Marepo Eoe, MP. |
The Member for Kikori since elected into office in 2017 has
been involved in National level
political Responsibilities including Department of Community Development, Youth
& Religion, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and more
recently Department of Public Service. – (Community Development, DFAIT, DPM)
As the Minister for
Community Development, Youth & Religion, Hon. Eoe felt that the department
had to have its presence felt in the communities to ensure human development in
the forefront of nation building. With this in mind, he initiated the Community
Development Center flagship to be established in every district with approval
by Kikori District Development Authority to counter-fund this facility in the
Kikori District as well.
The Member for Kikori also
played a key role in establishing a Youth Council in the Kikori district to assist
in addressing issues and enhancing youth activities in the district.
With a change to the government, Hon. Eoe was
again appointed the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade
signaling great confidence in his outstanding performance as a first-time
politician and Minister.
Minister Eoe’s representation
in New Zealand, Tuvalu, and at the United Nation’s General Assembly in New York
where he delivered the Prime Minister’s speech.
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| Above: 2019 - Minister Eoe & wife met US President Donald Trump and wife during the UN General Assembly in New York |
More recently, Minister
Eoe visited Hong Kong and China in fulfillment of government policies for
attracting foreign investments.
These visits were fruitful
as major commitments to developing district infrastructure such as the roads,
jetties, bridges and hospitals as well as major national infrastructure and
financial assistance were made throughout these meetings.
National Level Economic involvement
(Papua LNG Gas Agreement).
o
Papua LNG Gas Agreement Negotiations as a key member
of the ministerial team
o
Consultation with IHU
& Baimuru Landowners regarding gas agreement signing
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| Above: Landowner consultation meetings |
o
Promoting ISEZ at the APEC Leaders Meeting and in
Sydney, Aust. & Port Moresby
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| Above: 3D model display of the Ihu Special Economic ZoneAdd caption |
o
Japanese Project Support, securing K9mil (TBC) for
heavy construction equipment
Where He Is Going
Hon. Soroi Marepo Eoe has
solid plans moving forward. Here are the focus areas to bringing development to
the district;
·
With launch of the 5-year District Development Plan,
the focus now is to implementation of these Plan through the development of LLG
Ward Plans ensuring the all areas are covered and not left out.
·
A vital component is to complete electrification
project (installation of Gensets) by the end of the first quarter 2020. This
supports the public service to better carry out their duties in the respective
LLG’s.
·
Complete rehabilitation of Ihu and Baimuru airstrips
by June 2020
·
Awareness campaign of Land mobilization with regard to
the Ihu Special Economic Zone. This better informs the landowners that may be
affected by the development that would take place.
·
Completion of feasibility studies of various
components of ISEZ
·
With the deteriorated state of most public service
housing, the member for Kikori also plans build public service housing. The
houses are prefabricated and durable. This guarantees an improved working
environment for the public service.
·
With funds been committed in the National Budget and
external sources, Hon. Eoe plans to complete the first phase of large
infrastructure projects such as roads, Jetties, Health Centers, Markets &
Classrooms.
·
Hon. Eoe and his team will also be looking at securing
funding for projects and establish management mechanism to implement these projects
Despite the changes in
government the Member has performed solidly in the Ministries he has held and
holds currently.
