Papua New Guinea Finishes Lae Port Phase I Upgrade

The first phase of an upgrade of Papua New Guinea’s Lae Port, the joint project of the Government of Papua New Guinea, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC), is complete, paving the way for a boost in cargo throughput at the country’s most important port.

The first phase upgrade is expected to boost the safety and efficiency of port operations, as well as the port’s cargo-handling capacity,  with new facilities including a tidal basin, a multipurpose berth, and terminal works including buildings, storage areas, roads, drainage, water, electricity and sewerage services.

“Infrastructure developments such as the Lae Tidal Basin are crucial to the development of Papua New Guinea. The Lae Tidal Basin with two additional container berths will result in the tripling of capacity of the Lae Port, as a third berth has also recently been added to the existing facility,” said Wasantha Kumarasiri, Managing Director of the IPBC. “IPBC is committed to working with our development partners such as ADB in delivering such infrastructure projects as the Lae Tidal Basin in a timely and cost-effective manner.”

The port sector is critical to Papua New Guinea’s economy since 15 out of its 20 provinces are coastal and more than 60% of the nation’s seven million people are widely dispersed.

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Image: ADB