by Georgina Maka’a
Reviving the Public Works Department (PWD) is one of the top priorities of the Manele-led Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT).
That’s according to Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele and his Minister for Infrastructure Development (MID), Manasseh Maelanga.
Both leaders highlighted this in their speeches at Wednesday’s launch of the China-funded Auki tar-sealing road project in Malaita.
“The Government’s decision to re-establish PWD is among its highest priorities,” Maelanga, whose ministry is responsible for roads and other infrastructure, stated.
Prime Minister Manele agreed, saying: “I wish to express my strong support for the revival of this department.
“I feel strongly that we should re-establish the PWD here in Auki to look after these roads.”
PWD was formerly a department within MID responsible for overseeing major public infrastructure development, including transport infrastructure (roads, airstrips), government buildings, wharves, and water supply systems.
One of its major functions was road maintenance, ensuring regular upkeep. Under PWD, roads across the country were kept in good condition all year round.
However, governance reforms in the 1990s and 2000s led to the decentralisation of some public works functions to provincial governments.
PWD’s role gradually shifted to policy and oversight, with much of the actual construction and maintenance work contracted out to private companies — often funded through foreign aid programs from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and more recently, China.
This shift contributed to a lack of regular road maintenance, substandard roadworks, and deteriorating road conditions across the country.
Several recent governments have discussed re-establishing PWD, but these promises never materialised.
Maelanga said the intention to revive PWD will be presented to Cabinet and later to Parliament for discussion and approval.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manele urged the Malaita Provincial Government to develop a comprehensive Road Maintenance Plan to guide the upkeep of roads in the province.
He also stressed the need for Malaita Province to collaborate with MID to establish a Highway Authority.
The authority, he said, would create traffic rules, regulations, fines, and user fees, enabling a self-sustaining revenue model for road maintenance.
Malaita, the nation’s most populated province, has the largest network of roads among the nine provinces.
However, none of these roads are sealed.