"If THE party forms the next govt - we can transform places like Karamui-Nomane into a national food basket," Don Polye told voters

THE Karamui-Nomane district in Chimbu has the potential to become the country’s food basket, according to Opposition Leader Don Polye.

Mr Polye said if his Triumph Heritage Empowerment party formed the next government, the district’s vast valley would be ploughed into a huge commercial agriculture zone. 

“We will convert the plains, including Sepik, Karamui, Papuan basin, Waghi, Hela, Baiyer, Markham and New Guinea Islands into a food basket for the world,” he said. 

Mr Polye was in the district to launch 46 footbridges and 33 Kilometres of roads. They were all funded by the party at a tune of over K100, 000 with local labour.

“When I was elected into Parliament in 2002, I kept advocating for tapping into agriculture potential which Karamui-Nomane poses for the country’s development.

“This is not the first time I am saying it. I keep drumming it. All my debates about it are there in Parliament’s hansard,” he told a cheering crowd on Saturday (March 18).

He said he criticised the government for overlooking this potential, adding his calls on the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to invest overseas loans into such a project with huge economic return overturned.

“When I was the Treasury Minister, I kept advising him to secure loans for such projects and build better roads in areas hosting or have potential in agriculture. 

“He was so stubborn only to polarise developments in Port Moresby alone at the suffering of other urban and rural areas,” he said.

Polye expressed a grave concern at garden produces, especially cocoa, peanuts, rice, pineapple and others rotting away whilst being in storage due to lack of transportation.

Opposition Leader said when he was a Works Minister, he funded over 73 Kilometres of road to connect the district with the rest of the province.

Opposition Don Polye speaking to the voters in Karamui-Nomane.
 Image credit; Media unit - PNG Opposition / 2017.