Fuo’o: MID is committed to infrastructure development with limited resources at its disposal

By Taromane Martin

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Development (MID) is working on developing the standards for the construction of infrastructure and improvement of roads in the country with the minimal resources at its disposal.

Minister Hon. Ricky Fuo’o told Parliament on Monday that while resources are low, his ministry is trying its best to address the need for quality infrastructures throughout the country.

“Yes, the Ministry is working on standards for the improvement of roads. So basically, as much as we see that the residents are necessary, we have a very large geographical area to cover with very minimal resources,” the Minister said while responding to a question on the Gizo Town/ Gizo/Saeragi Road in parliament.

“The Ministry is working at least spreading out in other provinces as well. So, when we see certain roads or infrastructures being covered by our developing partners or agencies, we are working on addressing everyone a little bit everywhere in the interim because of the limited resources.

“But with the standards for construction, the building code is going to be introduced in Parliament, and for the standards for the roads, that’s what we’re working on as well.

“Because initially, I mean, a lot of public complaints and a lot of taxpayers’ money is being used for constant repairs. So, it’s something that the Ministry prioritises and is working on,” Hon. Fuo’o said.

With most road conditions are in dire straits, Minister Fuo’o said his Ministry and the national government is serious in reviving the Public Works Department.

“The re-establishment of the PWD is a matter that the Government takes seriously. And for me, for the Ministry, we’ve got a lot of planning phases here, and we’re working on case studies and something for us to sell or table to the different partners, and how they could assist us in the establishment of PWD. 

“At the moment, we’re developing case studies and business plans on how it will work, how and when we’re going to start working. So, the idea is to basically start low, low quality, low quality at first, and then slowly work towards establishing better provinces.

“But at this stage, we’ve got to continue the low planning stage, and hopefully soon we’ll bring something to the Parliament,” the Minister added.

The Public Works Department which previously played a crucial role in managing public works projects was abolished twenty-two years ago since its formation in the post-colonial era. 

This decision led to the outsourcing of road maintenance, bridge construction, drainage systems, and wharf management to private contractors. 

While the aim was to streamline operations, this transition has raised concerns about inefficiencies, inconsistent quality of work, and insufficient accountability in infrastructure management.

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