ROADS & THE POWER OF HUMAN NEEDS

Ever since ancient times, roads were the core infrastructure around which civilizations grew and flourished. Towns emerged from cross roads where travelers rested on their way to their destinations. Initially to support the travelers – replenish supplies and care of their pack animals. Good roads enabled the army to mobilize and move quickly to counter a threat in any part of the kingdom. Roads allowed goods and services to flow efficiently and allowed the government to monitor and collect revenue from the business transacted through the roads. It allowed the diffusion of new technology or customs to spread throughout the civilization freely and quickly. Upon roads were civilizations built.

The dilemma for PNG is how to bring development to our people. We have a whole host of things that we feel will improve the living standards for our general populations. We have global organizations – UN programs - WHO, World Bank etc all espousing certain indicators which they see from their history of dealing with developing countries will best assist the national government improve the standard of living for it's population. Due to tied aid, where donor funds are not released unless certain "suggested" programs are embarked on, the national government is hamstrung in what it needs to do versus what it is pushed to do. The result is that many programs are embarked upon, health programs, environmental programs, social welfare programs etc. which have a short term impact but are forgotten once the programs ends. Rural people will talk about some program that happened in their area but things have since deteriorated once the program ceased.

What our national leaders need to realize is the power of individual needs. According to Maslows Theory of Needs, as shown in the image above...
Human beings will do what is necessary for survival and safety needs. Once these needs are catered for, they will then look to meeting psychological needs and also start being concerned with fulfilling their ultimate destiny.So this means that the people have the motivation to meet their basic development needs and requirements. Where there is a will, there is a way.

The main thing that PNG needs are good road networks to allow the movement of goods and services to flow. Roads will unlock the hugh capital base that is currently locked away – people, land, agriculture and also new markets - The rest of the development areas will follow as a result.

Once people are making money, obviously they will want better health care; if they are making money, they can afford to pay for health care. Hence they can either travel to places where there are better health centers or some entrepreneur will spot this opportunity and establish health services in the region. People will want better education for their children. If they are making money, schools will be brought into the area because enough people can afford to pay for it and make it profitable.etc.etc.

The government cannot bring development, it can only set the environment where development can occur. Development is only brought about by the collective citizens of Papua New Guinea. An analogy is that – The government is like a gardener, it must ensure the soil is tilled, fertilizer is applied etc but the plants must grow on their own. We cannot rely on the government to develop the country. The government should not think it can develop the country. The government needs to look at providing the right environment for the country to grow and the main one is a good transport infrastructure –ROADS.