John Rosso, Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Lae, speaks to Lemach Lavari about recent developments in the busy port city, his vision for its future, and plans for the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.

Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Lae, the Hon. John Rosso

BAPNG: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

John Rosso (JR): I’d like to call myself a reluctant politician because I never wanted to run for public office, but this is now my second term in parliament. It was the overwhelming desire of some people in my community who pushed me into politics.

Lae needed a firm hand with good management skills and, coming from a business background, I try to provide that. Before politics, I was a businessman, and I also worked as a police patrol officer in the Highlands.

BAPNG: What do you see as some of your achievements?

JR: My main aim for Lae has been to improve management of resources and to invest in building a safe and conducive city that supports business development and a thriving community.

One of the first things I did was to establish the Lae City Authority (LCA). The LCA manages the affairs of the city. Secondly, I have obtained increased government funding with tax returns through an agreement with our national tax office.

So, we now have an efficient governance structure with considerable government funding. The result has been an 80 per cent decrease in major crime through our partnership with the police and local communities. If you grew up in Lae in the 80s and 90s, it was known as the crime capital of PNG. It is much safer now.

Our investment in education has seen more students having access to better education and, in turn, more of them are graduating from secondary schooling into universities and colleges in the country.

Also, we’ve never had a reliable ambulance service in Lae until now. The St John Ambulance do a tremendous job in responding to medical emergencies in the city and surrounds. LCA fully funds the St John Ambulance.

We’ve also improved road systems within the residential and business areas in the city.

The dream is to make Lae the most model urban centre in PNG; the safest, secure and cleanest city in PNG. For me to do that, I need the help of all the government institutions and the people of Lae.

BAPNG: What are the key attractions of Lae?

JR: The Lae Botanical Garden provides a haven for residents who’d like to relax in nature and enjoy walks in a natural forest setting. The yacht club has some good views of the waterfront, including Vocopoint. We’ve got World War 2 history here as well: you can visit the site where pioneer American pilot Amelia Earhart took off from in 1937, and we have caves that were used as hospitals during the war.

The annual Morobe Show, which is the largest agricultural show in the country, takes place every September in Lae. It exhibits PNG’s agriculture, industries and culture. The event brings together almost 80,000 people over a week. Moreover, from Lae, you have access to travel out to some good diving spots in Salamaua or to visit the waterfalls of Finschhafen.

BAPNG: What kind of development do you want to see in Lae?

JR: People and businesses come when the environment is conducive and safe.

The Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry says that a lot of companies now see Lae as becoming their preferred location in PNG to operate in because they say it’s a safer city.

So, we need to continue to increase investment in policing and in developing our road and transportation services as well. A major investment that is already contributing to more economic development is the Nadzab International Airport. We now have the capacity for more arrivals.

Also, soon to be completed is the new four-lane Lae-to-Nadzab highway. An improved transport system contributes to business efficiency and makes it easier for our people to travel.

BAPNG: What are the upcoming developments?

JR: We are currently refurbishing the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium and aim to complete it by September. We’re also doing a four-lane road upgrade of the Unitech to Eriku road. This will cut down our traffic congestion issue.

Moreover, we’ve secured funding and will soon commence the development of two new suburbs that will house about 2400 residents.

BAPNG: What are the city’s plans for the 50th anniversary celebrations?

JR: We’re going to do a huge celebration. We’ve got an independence committee that is planning our activities. We’ve allocated money to all our suburbs for each council ward to participate.

There will be a grand event at the Lae Showground and the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium, where there will be cultural dance groups from our 22 provinces performing.

Also, we will have school children marching, and for the first time, we will have the new Lae Police Band performing.

It will be the only police band outside of Port Moresby. Of course, we will cap it off with fireworks shows.

This article was first published in the May–July 2025 issue of Paradise, the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini.