A delegation from the World Bank is currently in the country under-taking its two-weeks long Eight Implementation Support Mission (ISM) for the PNG Agriculture Commercialization and Diversification (PACD) Project from the 10th -25th November 2024.

The Mission is led by the Senior Agriculture Specialist and team leader of PACD in the country Allan OIiver Balbal.

The main objective of the mission was to review the overall implementation of the PACD project with a specific focus on the progress of the component two Agriculture Feeder Roads and Component three Productive Partnerships.

The mission included visits to the National Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) in Port Moresby as well as the PACD Cocoa Component participating provinces project sites in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) and East New Britain.

According to Mr Oliver the Bank do these missions twice annually and this is the last mission for this year which they are focusing on the Cocoa Component side of the project.

“These support missions are usually undertaken to see where we are with the project and if there are issues, we try to resolve them and find ways forward for the successful implementation of the project to our people,” said Mr Oliver.

“We are happy to see the project partnerships being able to mobilize themselves and prepare for the implementation of their projects and speak to some farmers and get a sense of how they feel and are they getting the assistance needed from the Cocoa Component Project Management Unit (PMU)”.

The mission visitation to AROB coincided with the groundbreaking of the Teo-Buin Sipotavai Road in Tinputz which the signing and awarding of the project was done last month. The mission was able to officiate the road grounding breaking despite the heavy downpour on Wednesday 13th of November 2024.

The Mission is accompanied by PACD Project Coordination Unit (PCU) in Port Moresby, the National Department of Treasury and the National Department of Planning and Monitoring on behalf of the PNG government for its meetings and project sites visits to see how far the project has come and understand the challenges not only for the project but the provinces as well.

Representing the PNG government Juanita Sundie Principal Aid Coordinator from the Department of Planning and Monitoring encouraged the developing partners and implementation agencies to work together to ensure the project achieve its objective.

Ms Sundie said with the National Planning they want to ensure that with the loans that the country is getting to help its people there is sustainability and the department is working with the Cocoa Board for a smooth transition after the project completion.

The team than travelled to ENB to meet with the Cocoa Board and the PACD PMU as well as visited the other two roads, 4km Ivon-Kulungere road, Sinivit LLG in the Pomio District and a 3.2km Vunapalading-Burit road, Inland Baining LLG, Gazelle District both in East New Britain. The mission will be completing its meetings in Port Moresby with the coffee component PMU next week.

The PACD project is funded through GoPNG loan funding from the World Bank. The Department of Agriculture and Livestock is responsible for the two project and the Cocoa Board of PNG as implementing agency, covering the Cocoa Component.