K15m Koki Market development to boost local seafood consumption and revenue
An Ariel View of Koki Market (photo: Supplied Angela Vavar)
BY ANGELA VAVAR
PORT MORESBY: Port Moresby city residents will soon have another choice of eatery with a water-front setting when the K15 million phase two Koki Fish Market extension project gets underway.
This Project is an initiative of the Moresby South District Development Authority. The project will be jointly funded by National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and the electorate.
To set the wheel in motion, the Moresby South Electorate has completed the design of the new extension project which will see the construction of a restaurant with 300 sitting area capacity for people to enjoy fish and chips or a cold drink with the cool breeze overlooking Ela Beach.
Moresby South MP and Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko said the idea is to enable the public to come and buy fresh processed seafood including fish fillets, prawns and lobster and squid, octopus and many more.
“This is an exciting new development for the electorate and we are looking forward to it as K10 million has already been committed in this year’s budget by the National Fisheries Authority. We anticipate NFA to ensure they come good with their commitment as it has been budgeted in this year’s appropriation and we would like to see a ground breaking ceremony and the funds come across to NCDC before June this year.
“We would like to see the construction start immediately for phase two of this fantastic and exciting project that will enable Papua New Guineans with their families to come and enjoy the beautiful South Side Breeze,” Tkatchenko said .
Tkatchenko added that once NFA makes the funding available, the NCDC will tender the construction of the project for interested
bidders.
“We will finalize all the details for NFA to immediately release the funding towards this project as promised by Fisheries
Minister Jelta Wong MP. The project is expected to take about 12 months to construct and if everything goes well and funding goes through before June, then, we would have it ready for opening in June next year (2026),” Minister Tkatchenko said.
ENDS
