New Coffee Export Office Complex Nears Completion

The new coffee exports office complex currently being constructed in Lae, Morobe Province is nearing its final stages of preparations before it can be commissioned before the end of 2023.

This was made known during a technical meeting between the Coffee Industry Corporation Ltd (CICL), Contractor and the Contract Manager on Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 in Lae, Morobe Province.

CICL Chief Operations Officer Steven Tumae and his team met with the contractor and project architect last week to update CICL on the progress of construction and also to visit the construction site to see how the actual work was progressing.

Tumae said major works on the building have been completed and they are awaiting the contractor to liaise with PNG Power Ltd on the power connection to the building plus few other jobs such as glazing and finishing touches to the fencing, footpath and carpark area.

Tumae added that the office plays a very important role in ensuring quality coffee is graded and certified before being exported out of the country. He said the new building once completed would effectively and efficiently facilitate coffee exports, quality control and compliance work.

“The new export office is a three-storey building which will have the coffee laboratory, export office, quality control and compliance office, conference and meeting facility, library, and other office spaces for our partners. We are giving the contractor another month to complete the building. Although a lot of issues have been slowing down work, we anticipate commissioning the new coffee export building before the year ends.”

Haom Builders Managing Director Herman Anep provided assurance that all outstanding issues and outstanding tasks will be fast tracked and managed before the deadline given by CICL.

Haom Builders was awarded the contract in 2020 by the National Government at the cost of K10.6 million to construct the new Coffee Exports Office.