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Lae the golden egg

Friday, 27 April 2012

Justin Niessner

MAJOR industrial development in Papua New Guinea’s port city of Lae has sparked optimism among local officials, but optimising the growth may require more planning.

Lae Port image courtesy of PNG Ports Corporation.

The $US980 million Ramu hydro expansion scheme and overdue $343M rehabilitation of the city’s port are expected to create a boom in the Momase region’s industrial development not only through the creation of jobs but by erasing the various business obstacles posed by out-dated shipping terminals.

At a meeting on the subject held last week, the state-owned Independent Public Business Corporation described the “huge impact” of the development projects on the region.

“The days of constant power blackouts crippling local business and causing household havoc for ordinary Papua New Guineans will be over,” IPBC director Thomas Abe said.

“The board and senior management came to Lae to show the community that we are not just sitting at our desks in Port Moresby wasting time and money,” he added.

Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Alan McLay was also upbeat about the possibilities of the area’s newest wave of development but was cautious about the current planning strategy and an inevitable land grab.

“The government must plan better for this expansion and formalise the leasing of land,” he told PNG newspaper The National.

“What I don’t want to see is a landless group of people who find that greedy companies have taken all the land near Lae city.”

The Ramu hydro project, currently under feasibility study, would include a dam expansion, power station rehabilitation and construction of a new hydroelectric dam on the Ramu river.

Lae Port terminal redevelopment will include construction of a tidal basin measuring 700m by 400m, a multi-purpose berth and terminal works including buildings, roads and utility infrastructures.

McLay cited other businesses with new interest in Lae as HBS Machinery, Traverse Drilling, Huon Machinery, Metier Contractors and Red Rock Investment.

Lae is the industrial centre of PNG and accounts for more than 60% of the country’s movement of import and export cargo.

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