PNG to build 40 000 houses

Planning Minister Charles Abel . EMTV Photo

Planning Minister Charles Abel yesterday announced various decisions made by the cabinet. Amongst them was the cabinet decision to build 40 thousand affordable houses for Papua New Guineans across the country.

National Planning Minister Charles Abel announced his cabinet decision in a media conference held in Port Moresby yesterday.

He said the country is facing housing problems, and it was time the government stepped in to assist low income earners by building houses at affordable rates.

“They will quickly bring the policy but to also quickly get with the program of developing 40,000 affordable houses in Papua New Guinea, 15,000 in Port Moresby and rest outside of Port Moresby,” announced Abel.

K150 million will be made available for this program in the 2014 budget and part of this money will be used to build institutional houses.

However, Minister Abel says the government is aware of the land problems in cities and towns and will use some money for land mobilisation programs.

“Some of these money will go towards the land mobilisation process, which includes customary land mobilisation reform and includes making accessible land that is already alienated but is not accessible,” said Abel.

A ministerial committee on land and housing has been set and will be headed by the minister himself.

This committee will start work next year to find and free up land in Port Moresby for the 15, 0000 houses to be built.

Minister Abel said one approach they will take is to look at land under Urban Development Lease which has not been developed for over five years and forfeit it back to the state.

This housing program will be for both private and public sector employees.

EMTV