Boost for PNG ports
Two decisions by the Papua New Guinea government have paved the way for long-sought improvements at the country’s leading ports.
The government recently committed to the relocation of Port Moresby’s main port area from its current position to Motukea, after cabinet received a recommendation to approve funding to buy the facilities privately-developed by Queensland-based Curtain Brothers.
The move has been expected for over a year, with Prime Minister Peter O’Neil regularly praising the Motukea Port as a “very impressive, sophisticated facility”.
The government has also committed to the second stage of the Lae Tidal Basin Port Development project, which will see Lae’s main wharf extended from 225 metres to 725 metres, enabling two vessels of up to 300 metres to berth at the same time.
Public enterprises and state investment minister Ben Micah said PNG was set to become a major regional transhipment hub for trade in the Asia-Pacific region.
“These are two massive infrastructure projects undertaken by the government through the IPBC [Independent Public Business Corporation] and Ports PNG,” Mr Micah said. “We will become a major transhipment hub for southbound trade from Asia and northbound trade from Australia and New Zealand.
The minister said the current Port Moresby wharf area would become a major recreational and commercial area.
Both ports – but particularly Lae – have experienced crippling congestion over the past two years as liner services competed with project cargo and breakbulk vessels supplying PNG LNG and other major developments.
