Papua New Guinea Storage Assessment
Except the ones belonging to the private transport companies (for short term operations) and the Defence Forces, there is nearly no warehousing capacity existing in the country. While the transport companies use their storage capacities to the upmost, some may be keen to provide ad-hoc support in time of emergencies. The only storage capacities found in the country are using containers. The containers are bought, most of the times.
This can be explained by various reasons:
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- The security issues, as warehouses are more fragile than locked containers
- The costs, as the costs related to the whole building industry in the country are beyond understanding, nearly nobody is able paying for a proper warehousing system
Commercial Storage
The PNGDF Storage Capacity
The PNGDF has several storage capacities (usually huge warehouses)
at central hubs locations (Lae, POM)
The PNGDF has a history of providing services to the humanitarian
and development agencies (AusAID) for free temporary storage.
During emergencies, upon prior agreement with the GoPNG, agencies
may thus use those facilities.
Contacts with the authorities for accessing the PNGDF storage
capacities need to go through the NDC.
Storage Used by Humanitarian Organizations
During Emergencies
Beyond using the very few PNGDF capacities at central hubs
locations, a real problem of storage capacities exist in the
country. In order to address that, and having noticed that airports
areas are usually very large and secured, discussions held with the
National Airports Corporation indicate that a real possibility
exist to set up MSUs in airports premises. This will need to be
further made official.
Contingency Stocks
Only a few agencies have a kind of pre-positioned stock of
humanitarian items (= Contingency Stocks). Usually those agencies
have 2 to 4 containers full placed in various locations in the
country, most of the time close to the agency’s operations
area.
Cold Chain
All PNGPCL managed ports have power capacities for reefer
containers. However, this service is not intended for long time
storage. As for any other goods, ports authorities allow only 5
days free storage in their premises.
The GoPNG is managing a network of central and areas “medical
stores”. These stores are located in several key locations (Madang,
Lae,Port-Moresby) and benefit from cold storage facilities.
Humanitarian agencies may, upon prior agreement with the Department
of health, access those facilities.