Locals buy used Japanese vehicles through internet

PAPUA New Guineans bought some 2,000 units of used Japanese cars worth more than K5 million through the internet from a single exporter, Nichibo Japan Trading Co Ltd (Nichibo).
This was disclosed this week by Nichibo during the visit of James Hanna, the company’s PNG and Pacific marketing consultant.
Hanna told The National last Tuesday the demands for used car by Papua New Guineans had  been increasing since Nichibo began making its presence in the country a few years ago.
Hanna said the company exports on regular basis 50 vehicles from small cars to big truck and buses to PNG alone.
He said most of the importers were from Port Moresby, with some from Lae.
Comparing to other Pacific Islands excluding Australia and New Zealand, PNG’s demand for used car has surpassed other island-countries
“When I first started exporting used vehicles in 1997 to the Oceania region, it was said there were very few cars on the road in Port Moresby,” Hanna said.
“Of course now, there are many today.”
Used imported vehicles have had a remarkable effect on PNG’s economy.
Hanna said just having a car not only gives one the convenience to go anywhere at any time … it helped to bring families closer together.