New embassy building

By HELEN TARAWA
The United States Government has invested in a new embassy building because PNG’s economy is growing and the future for the country is impressive, Ambassador Catherine Ebert-Gray says.
Ebert-Gray told The National that through the construction of the embassy the US government would be investing over K3 million (US$1m) a month in the local economy.
“We will be sourcing goods and hiring personnel here and we certainly hope that a lot of the income for this building would go right into Port Moresby,” she said.
“The overall cost is typical for a US embassy, it has high security, it’s very modern, it’s very high tech and we are building for the future.”
The new building is a commitment to having an enduring relationship with PNG, she added.
“It also gives us a little bit of security and facilities that we need in order to work effectively in our business.
“We continue to do a lot of work in supporting American businesses here who are very interested in the political scene.”
In a small but important event yesterday, the embassy staff unveiled the plans for the new embassy compound to government officials and stakeholders.
Project director Deya Desouza said 15 to 20 local contractors would be hired to work on the new compound.
“We are bringing some of the construction team right now so people who know how to do security construction concrete work will be working side by side with the locals and training them,” Desouza said.
“For all the trades, we are going to hire local sub-contractors to do electrical, mechanical and landscaping.
“People from all cultures will be involved in the construction of the new building and we only speak one word, construction, and this is our goal.”
The project is said to take about 30 to 36 months with completion by Sept 2019.