Prime Minister James Marape has commended Kokopo MP Ereman ToBaining Jnr. for delivering the newly completed Kokopo City Hall, which was officially opened on Tuesday, as part of efforts to strengthen local governance and modernize East New Britain.
Speaking on Tuesday at the official opening ceremony in Kokopo, Prime Minister Marape described the project as a significant achievement in strengthening local administrative capacity and modernising East New Britain Province.
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The Prime Minister confirmed that the national government provided the capital funding for the landmark construction project, which will centralize municipal operations and expand public service delivery.
Under the current revenue distribution framework, 20 per cent of the provincial Goods and Services Tax (GST) remittance is allocated directly to the Kokopo City Authority, providing the local administration with approximately K1 million monthly to run its city operations.
Prime Minister Marape also commended East New Britain Governor Michael Marum and the provincial administrative leadership, including Provincial Administrator Levi Mano, for their roles in maintaining effective front-line governance.
He praised Governor Marum’s pragmatic, action-oriented leadership, highlighting his focus on delivering tangible community outcomes rather than political rhetoric, remaining on the ground to advance provincial interests and ensuring equitable distribution of public revenues to lower-level government authorities.
The commissioning of the new City Hall aligns with a targeted national strategy to integrate Kokopo into Papua New Guinea’s “Big 4” municipal network alongside Port Moresby, Lae and Mt Hagen.
To support Kokopo’s designation as the country’s primary tourism hub, Prime Minister Marape announced the upcoming December launch of the “Go Kokopo” tourism campaign.
Being developed in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and the Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC), the initiative aims to introduce specialized tax and financial incentives to stimulate private investment in hospitality and commerce across the Gazelle Peninsula.
During his address, Prime Minister Marape outlined several government-backed infrastructure projects aimed at supporting the region’s long-term economic expansion:
Transit Infrastructure: Four-year road-sealing contracts are underway to link Tokua Airport directly to Kokopo township. The works are complemented by a runway extension funded by the national government and a terminal upgrade to be funded by the Government of Japan.
Power and Energy: The National Executive Council has authorized formal negotiations with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop a 40-megawatt hydroelectric project in Pomio. The project is expected to strengthen the regional power grid across East New Britain and West New Britain, supplementing the existing five-megawatt capacity at Warangoi.
Rabaul Restoration: The national government has officially lifted the moratorium imposed on Rabaul following the 1994 volcanic eruption. In partnership with France and the European Union, plans have been approved to redevelop Rabaul wharf, while the State continues to issue formal land titles to residents permanently relocated to resettlement areas such as Gelegele.
Prime Minister Marape also reported that annual provincial GST remittances to East New Britain have increased under his administration, with recent annual collections reaching K40 million and above.
He cited the annual GST figures as K37 million in 2020, K41 million in 2021, K37 million in 2022, K34 million in 2023 and K44 million in 2024, compared with amounts below K40 million before 2019.
Concluding his remarks, Prime Minister Marape reiterated that his office would no longer participate in groundbreaking ceremonies or preliminary project launches as the current five-year parliamentary term approaches its conclusion in 2027.
He said the Government would now focus its executive oversight on commissioning fully completed public infrastructure between now and the next National General Elections.