Prime Minister James Marape has issued a public apology to the people of Karamui in Simbu province, acknowledging significant delays and missteps in a long-promised road development project. The Prime Minister's apology comes in response to recent public concerns over the lack of progress on the road, despite funds being allocated in 2020, 2021, and 2022. “I want to sincerely apologize to the people of Karamui.” “We did allocate funds for your road in past years, and I have now directed the Works Department to investigate what has happened to those allocations.” Marape admitted the project has “misfired” due to disagreements over the route and competing priorities at provincial and district levels. He stressed that while other major road projects, like the connections from Kikori to Mt Hagen and Port Moresby to Alotau, have progressed steadily, the Karamui project has been hampered by internal conflicts. To resolve this, he has instructed the Works Department to choose the most direct route and proceed without further interference. The Prime Minister emphasized his personal connection to the struggles of remote communities, recalling his own difficult childhood experiences. He shared a poignant story about his mother losing children in a remote village due to a lack of access to health services and roads. “As a child who grew up in remote Papua New Guinea, I understand the pain of isolation.” “These experiences shaped me, and they remain with me to this day.” He assured the people of Karamui that his government is committed to ensuring they are not left behind. This commitment is central to the national Connect PNG programme, a 20-year initiative designed to link all parts of the country through a network of roads, jetties, ports, and airstrips. Meanwhile, Marape highlighted the success of similar projects in other remote areas, noting that heavy machinery is already building a road in Kaintiba, a community he visited in 2020. “Just as Kaintiba has now been reached, so too will Karamui be reached.” In a final appeal, Marape urged all leaders in Simbu Province to support the national government's plan to build the main road corridor, while they focus on smaller feeder roads. “Enough is enough. Let us work together for the people. Karamui must be unlocked, and my government will not rest until that is achieved.”