This week, the national government, led by Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Sogavare MP joined other stakeholders to officiate the ground- breaking ceremony to officially start the upgrading of Seghe airport.
Seghe airport is in Marovo, Western Province and is identified as one of the four priority airports in the country to be upgraded.
The scope of the upgrading work include extension of runways, upgrading of runway surfaces, taxiway, apron and terminal constructions, lighting systems and safety systems installations.
During the ground breaking ceremony of Seghe airport, Prime Minister Sogavare hailed the past, present and future landowners of the land on which the airport is constructed and established.
PM Sogavare further acknowledged the United Church of Solomon Islands for allowing a portion of their land to support the upgrading of Seghe airport.
Prime Minister Sogavare stated that the breaking ceremony is a culmination of partnerships built over the years between Solomon Islands government and donor partners of New Zealand and Australia.
PM Sogavare paid homage particularly to the New Zealand government for contributing over USD100 million to the transport sector in Solomon Islands since 2006, adding that the Solomon Islands government thank the government and people of New Zealand for the grant assistance.
The Prime Minister also underlined that the Provincial Airports Program is an initiative by the government to increase economic benefits from tourism and trade.
“This will be achieved by upgrading priority airfields, resulting in enhanced reliability and safety of aviation transport infrastructure, increased accessibility to provincial areas and an enabled environment for trade and investment,” PM Sogavare stated.
Seghe and Taro airports upgrading are jointly supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, and now the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia through the New Zealand aid program.
The total cost of upgrading of Seghe and Taro airports is approximately SBD250 million.
Other airports to be upgraded including Suavanao in Isabel Province and Santa Cruz airport in Temotu Province.
Source: Press Release, Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet